| Co-operative Championship 2009 | |
|---|---|
| League | Championship |
| Duration | 20 Rounds |
| Teams | 11 |
| Attendance | 217,362 (average 1,874) |
| 2009 Season | |
| Champions | Barrow Raiders |
| League Leaders | Barrow Raiders |
| Runners-up | Halifax |
| Top try-scorer(s) |  James Nixon (26) |
| Promotion and relegation | |
| Relegated to Championship 1 | Doncaster Gateshead Thunder |
The 2009 RFL Championship (known as the Co-operative Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the 1st season of the RFL Championship under its current name and the 42nd season under its current league status.
There was no automatic promotion to Super League due to licensing being used. 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 Grand Final was won by Barrow Raiders, who also won the League leaders Shield, beating Halifax 26-18.
Toulouse Olympique were exempt from relegation meaning Leigh Centurions were relegated along with bottom placed Doncaster. Following the completion of the season, Gateshead Thunder were eliminated following salary cap breaches and subsequently relegated, meaning Leigh Centurions retained their place in the Champipnship.