Wakefield Trinity have finished first in the Rugby Football League’s 2026 Club Grading rankings with a score of 17.85 out of 20, following their Super League Grand Final victory. The West Yorkshire club are one of eight sides awarded Grade A status and, along with the other 13 clubs who occupied the top 14 last year, are automatically guaranteed a place in Super League for 2027.
The RFL said Wakefield’s score was the highest achieved by any club in this year’s process and matched Hull KR’s 2025 mark as the joint-highest since the grading system began. Trinity’s position represents a sharp change from last year, when they were eighth in the rankings.
Wakefield improved by 2.38 points year on year, the largest increase recorded by any club in the 2026 table. Their Grand Final win contributed 0.75 bonus points under the On-Field Performance pillar, according to the RFL.
The club’s title success ended a 58-year wait for league glory, the governing body said. It followed a rapid sequence of progress: Wakefield were relegated from Super League in 2023 after an indicative score of 12.52 placed them 11th, won the Championship Grand Final in 2024 to return with Grade A status, reached the Super League play-offs in 2025 and have now combined a Grand Final-winning campaign with first place in the grading rankings.
How Wakefield reached first place
The grading framework measures clubs across five pillars: Fandom, Finance, Stadium, Community and On-Field Performance. Wakefield’s 17.85 total placed them 0.82 points above Leeds Rhinos, who were second on 17.03.
Warrington Wolves, the beaten Grand Finalists, finished third with 16.72. League Leaders’ Shield winners Wigan Warriors were fourth on 16.46, narrowly ahead of Hull KR on 16.45. Leigh Leopards scored 16.31, St Helens 15.59 and Castleford Tigers 15.03 to complete the eight Grade A clubs.
Grade A required at least 15 points. Wakefield’s total was therefore 2.85 points above that threshold, underlining that their leading position was not dependent solely on clearing the minimum benchmark.
The RFL said the club’s Grand Final result was part of a wider improvement rather than the sole basis of its standing. The 0.75-point Grand Final bonus equals about 31.5% of Wakefield’s 2.38-point year-on-year increase.
What the rankings mean for 2027
The immediate practical consequence is certainty over Wakefield’s Super League position next season. The RFL said all 14 clubs who featured in last year’s top 14 had retained those places and were therefore automatically guaranteed a place in the 2027 competition.
That group includes six clubs rated Grade B: Catalans Dragons, Hull FC, Bradford Bulls, Huddersfield Giants, Toulouse Olympique and York Knights. Catalans and Hull FC dropped from Grade A to Grade B after finishing ninth and 10th respectively, while Castleford returned to Grade A after placing 11th in 2025.
The distinction is important because a Grade B result did not prevent a current Super League club from retaining its 2027 position under the outcome announced by the RFL. For Wakefield, the Grade A rating recognises its combined performance across the framework’s on- and off-field measures, alongside its Grand Final-winning season.
Barrow Raiders were the highest-ranked Championship club, in 15th, while London Broncos moved to 16th after winning the Championship Grand Final. Doncaster made the second-largest year-on-year rise, gaining 1.36 points to finish 17th. The RFL said five Championship clubs achieved Grade B status.
Participation in grading was no longer compulsory from 2026. The final table consequently ranks the clubs that chose to enter the process rather than every club across Super League and the Championship. The RFL said 12 Championship clubs took part, with some doing so for benchmarking purposes.
RFL chief executive Ian Nolan said Wakefield’s rise illustrated how sustained development on and off the field could be recognised through the grading framework. The club’s route from relegation to top-ranked Grand Final winners in three seasons provides the clearest chronology behind a result that secures their top-flight future for 2027.