1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season
LeagueNorthern Rugby Football League
Champions Featherstone Rovers
Premiership St. Helens
Man of Steel Award David Ward
Top point-scorer(s) Geoff Lloyd 341
Top try-scorer(s) Stuart Wright 31

The 1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 82nd season of rugby league football. Sixteen English clubs competed for the Championship, with Featherstone Rovers claiming the title.

Season summary

In July 1976, the Rugby League Council imposed a ban on players moving to Australian clubs on short term contracts unless a transfer fee was paid.[1]

In April 1977, the League's executive committee recommended as of next season that points difference should be used to determine league position for teams level on points, instead of points average.[2]

The League Champions were Featherstone Rovers for the first and, to date, only time. During the season, the Salford versus Leeds match was abandoned after 38 minutes when Chris Sanderson of Leeds suffered a fatal injury. Leeds were ahead 5-2, but the game was declared null and void and not replayed.

Rochdale Hornets, Leigh, Barrow and Oldham were demoted to the Second Division.

The Challenge Cup Winners were Leeds who beat Widnes 16-7 in the final.

2nd Division Champions were Hull FC, and they, Dewsbury, Bramley and New Hunslet were promoted to the First Division.[3]

League Tables

Challenge Cup

Leeds beat Widnes 16-7 in the final played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 7 May 1977 in front of a crowd of 80,871. The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was the Leeds prop, Steve Pitchford.[4]

This was Leeds’ tenth Cup Final win in fourteen Final appearances.[5]

County Cups

Widnes beat Workington Town (from Cumbria) 16–11 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Featherstone Rovers 16–12 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners were Castleford who beat Leigh 12-4 in the final.

League Cup

Players No.6 Trophy Winners were Castleford who beat Blackpool Borough 25-15.

Premiership

Rugby League Premiership Trophy Winners were St. Helens who beat Warrington 32-20.

Sources

References

  1. ↑ "Fees now needed". The Guardian. London. 6 July 1976. p. 18. ProQuest 185920701.
  2. ↑ "The League stand by Mills". The Guardian. London. 22 April 1977. p. 21. ProQuest 185990440.
  3. ↑ "1976-77 Season summary". Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  4. ↑ Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
  5. ↑ "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
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