Season Champions Barrow Raiders Runners-up Halifax RLFC Champion Barrow Raiders Number of teams 11 | League Leaders Barrow Raiders Start date 2009 End date October 4, 2009 Season champion Barrow Raiders | |
League Co-operative Championship Attendance 217,362 (average 1,874) Relegated to Championship 1 Leigh Centurions
Doncaster | ||
The 2009 Co-operative Championship is a semi-professional rugby league football competition played in the United Kingdom and France one tier below the first tier Super League. The two worst performing teams during the season, with the exception of Toulouse Olympique, will be relegated to Championship 1.
Contents
There is no automatic promotion from this league to Super League, which uses a licensing system renewed every three years. Qualifying for the Grand Final is a prerequisite for Championship clubs to be able to apply for license in the next round of applications for the 2012–14 period.
The competition was very close with most teams having a chance of making the top 6 going into the final round. In the end Barrow Raiders topped the standings followed by Halifax. The Leigh Centurions were relegated on the final day of competition despite finishing only third to last and Doncaster were also relegated but their fate had been sealed for some time.
In the playoffs, Widnes Vikings and Featherstone Rovers advance from the first week to play each other. Featherstone won this game which gave them the chance to take on Halifax, who lost their game to Barrow, for a spot in the grand final. Halifax won and went on to play Barrow in the final but lost 26-18.
Play-offs
The Co-operative Championship uses a top 6 play-off system.
Attendances
Rugby League Crowds - 2009 Co-operative Champs