1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season


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

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.
Players No.6 Trophy Winners were Castleford who beat Blackpool Borough 25-15.
Rugby League Premiership Trophy Winners were St. Helens who beat Warrington 32-20.
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners were Castleford who beat Leigh 12-4 in the final.
2nd Division Champions were Hull FC, and they, Dewsbury, Bramley and New Hunslet were promoted to the First Division.
Widnes beat Workington Town 16–11 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Featherstone Rovers 16–12 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

League Tables

First Division Championship

Second Division Championship

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.
This was Leeds’ tenth Cup Final win in fourteen Final appearances.
Leeds 16
  1. Bryan Murrell
  2. Alan Smith
  3. Neil Hague
  4. Les Dyl
  5. John Atkinson
  6. John Holmes
  7. Kevin Dick
  8. Mick Harrison
  9. David Ward
  10. Steve Pitchford
  11. Graham Eccles
  12. Phil Cookson
  13. Stanley Fearnley
Widnes 7
  1. Ray Dutton
  2. Stuart Wright
  3. Mal Aspey
  4. David Eckersley
  5. Dennis O'Neill
  6. Eric Hughes
  7. Reg Bowden
  8. Bill Ramsey
  9. Keith Elwell
  10. Jim Mills
  11. Alan Dearden
  12. Mick Adams
  13. Doug Laughton
Referee: Vince Moss

League Cup

Premiership