1933–34 Northern Rugby Football League season


The 1933–34 Rugby Football League season was the 39th season of rugby league football. The first rugby league club in London, London Highfield competed in its inaugural season.

Season summary

won their fourth Championship when they beat Salford 15-3 in the play-off final.
Salford had ended the regular season as league leaders.
The Challenge Cup winners were Hunslet who beat Widnes 11-5.
Work begins at a former quarry that was being used as a waste dump at Odsal Top in Bradford after Bradford Northern sign a ten-year lease with the local council. This was to become the site of their current home ground, Odsal Stadium.
Salford won the Lancashire League, and Leeds won the Yorkshire League. Oldham beat St Helens Recs 12–0 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and York beat Hull Kingston Rovers 10–4 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

Championship

TeamPldWDLPFPAPts
1Salford38311671528163
2Wigan382601273933452
3Leeds382601259737652
4Halifax382601245734052
5York382411348137049
6Hunslet382311460844147
7Widnes382141339332446
8Warrington382211550837045
9Swinton382211541832245
10Hull382131455343845
11Keighley382211542936745
12Huddersfield382011750033041
13St. Helens382001855050040
14London Highfield382001850948940
15Oldham381731840052037
16Castleford381712047646835
17Rochdale Hornets381702144252434
18St Helens Recs381612145547733
19Hull Kingston Rovers381612144448233
20Batley381612139043633
21Leigh381522147953732
22Wakefield Trinity381522133240432
23Broughton Rangers381512241549531
24Barrow381502337546430
25Dewsbury381212531358725
26Bramley381112636779023
27Bradford Northern38803033771416
28Featherstone Rovers3840342327348

Championship Play-Off

Challenge Cup

defeated Widnes 11-5 in the final at Wembley before a crowd of 41,280.
This was Hunslet’s second Cup Final win, the first being in 1907–08, in their third Cup Final appearance.

Kangaroo Tour

August until December also saw the appearance of the Australian team in England on their 1933–34 Kangaroo Tour. Other than the three test Ashes series against Great Britain, The Kangaroos played matches against club and county representative sides as well as a non-test international against Wales and two internationals against England, the first of which was held at the Stade Pershing in Paris, the first rugby league match played in France.
The Kangaroos were captain-coach by Frank McMillan.
gameDateResultVenueAttendance
126 August Australia def. St Helens Recs 13–9City Road, St. Helens8,880
230 August Australia def. Leigh 16–7Mather Lane, Leigh4,590
32 September Australia def. Hull Kingston Rovers 20–0Craven Park, Hull7,831
46 September Australia def. Bramley RLFC 53–6Barley Mow, Bramley1,902
59 September Australia def. Oldham 38–6The Watersheddings, Oldham15,281
613 September Yorkshire def. Australia 13–0Headingley, Leeds10,309
716 September Australia def. Barrow 24–5Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness12,221
820 September Australia def. Lancashire 33–7Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington16,576
923 September Australia def. Wigan 18–17Central Park, Wigan15,712
1027 September Australia def. Castleford 15–2Wheldon Road, Castleford4,250
1130 September Australia def. Halifax 16–5Thrum Hall, Halifax10,358
127 October England def. 22–14Station Road, Swinton34,000
1311 October Australia def. Bradford Northern 7–5Birch Lane, Bradford3,328
1414 October Australia def. Warrington 15–2Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington16,431
1518 October Australia def. Hunslet 22–18Parkside, Hunslet6,227
1621 October Salford def. Australia 16–9The Willows, Salford15,761
1726 October Australia def. Widnes 31–0Naughton Park, Widnes6,691
1828 October Australia def. Wakefield Trinity 17–6Belle Vue, Wakefield5,596
1930 October Australia def. Bradford Northern 10–7Birch Lane, Bradford3,328
201 November English League XIII def. Australia 16–9Clarence Street, York3,158
214 November Swinton def. Australia 10–4Station Road, Swinton13,341
2211 November England def. 7–5Headingley, Leeds29,618
2314 November Australia def. Keighley 10–7Lawkholme Lane, Keighley3,800
2418 November Australia def. Huddersfield 13–5Fartown Ground, Huddersfield7,522
2522 November Australia def. London Highfield 20–5White City Stadium, London10,541
2625 November Australia def. Broughton Rangers 19–0Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Manchester5,527
2729 November Australia def. Leeds 15–7Headingley, Leeds5,295
282 December Australia def. St Helens 20–11Knowsley Road, St. Helens5,735
292 December Australia def. Rochdale Hornets 26–4Athletic Grounds, Rochdale3,603
309 December Cumberland def. Australia 17–16Recreation Ground, Whitehaven5,800
3116 December England def. 19–16Station Road, Swinton10,900
3223 December Australia def. York 15–7Clarence Street, York6,500
3325 December Australia def. Hull F.C. 9–5The Boulevard, Hull16,341
3430 December def. 51–19Wembley Stadium, London10,000
3531 December def. 63–13Stade Pershing, Paris5,000
3610 January Australia def. Oldham 38–5The Watersheddings, Oldham4,000
3713 January def. 19–14Redheugh Park, Gateshead15,576