The Zurich Premiership reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Zurich Premiership

The Zurich Premiership is the present name for the leading rugby union league competition for English clubs. From 1987/88 until 1996/97 it was known as the Courage League, and from 1997/98 until 1999/2000 as the Allied Dunbar Premiership.

Winners

• 1987/88 Leicester Tigers
• 1988/89 Bath
• 1989/90 Wasps
• 1990/91 Bath
• 1991/92 Bath
• 1992/93 Bath
• 1993/94 Bath
• 1994/95 Leicester Tigers
• 1995/96 Bath
• 1996/97 Wasps
• 1997/98 Newcastle Falcons
• 1998/99 Leicester Tigers
• 1999/00 Leicester Tigers
• 2000/01 Leicester Tigers
• 2001/02 Leicester Tigers
• 2002/03 Wasps (League won by Gloucester)

In the 2002/03 season a controversial play-off system was introduced, under which the winner of the league had to play the winner of a match between the second- and third-placed teams for the title. Although Gloucester won the league by a clear margin, second-placed Wasps (who had defeated third-placed Northampton) beat them easily in the play-offs. Many followers of the game regarded the outcome as an injustice.

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