1996 RFL Division One
The 1996 Division One Championship season was the second tier of British rugby league during the 1996 season, and was also the first season of rugby league to be played in the summer. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995–96 [Rugby Football League season].
Championship
The league was won by Salford Reds for a second successive season, winning promotion to the Super League. The club also won the Divisional Premiership final against Keighley Cougars, with Cliff Eccles winning the Tom Bergin Trophy.Rochdale Hornets and Batley Bulldogs were both relegated to Rugby [Football League Championship Third Division|Division Two].
League table
| Rugby [Football League Championship Second Division|Champions] | Relegated |
Premiership
Statistics
The following are the top points scorers in Division One during the 1996 season. Statistics are for league matches only.Most tries
Most goals
Most points
| Player | Team | Tries | Goals | DGs | Points |
| Martin Pearson | Featherstone Rovers | 14 | 81 | 1 | 219 |
| Steve Blakeley | Salford Reds | 9 | 84 | 0 | 204 |
| Brad Davis | Wakefield Trinity | 15 | 62 | 3 | 187 |
| Mark Hewitt | Hull Sharks | 1 | 67 | 0 | 138 |
| Christian Tyrer | Widnes | 6 | 54 | 3 | 135 |
| Keith Dixon | Keighley Cougars | 5 | 46 | 0 | 112 |
| Barry Eaton | Dewsbury | 2 | 42 | 1 | 93 |
| Greg Austin | Huddersfield Giants | 10 | 25 | 0 | 90 |
| Jason Critchley | Keighley Cougars | 21 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| Fata Sini | Salford Reds | 15 | 10 | 0 | 80 |