1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season

The 1947–48 Rugby Football League season was the 53rd season of rugby league football.

1947–48 Rugby Football League season
LeagueNorthern Rugby Football League
Champions Warrington
League Leaders Wigan
Top point-scorer(s) Jeff Bawden 243
Top try-scorer(s) Brian Bevan 57

Season summary

Warrington won their first Championship when they beat Bradford Northern 15–5 in the play-off final. Wigan had ended the regular season as the league leaders.

The Challenge Cup Winners were Wigan who beat Bradford Northern 8–3 in the final.

Wigan's 1948 Challenge Cup Final victory over Bradford Northern was the first ever televised Rugby League match and Cup Final – although it was shown in the Midlands only.[1]

Warrington won the Lancashire League, and Bradford Northern won the Yorkshire League. Wigan beat Belle Vue Rangers 10–7 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Wakefield Trinity beat Leeds 7–7 (replay 8–7) to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

Championship
Team Pld W D L Pts
1Wigan36311463
2Warrington36301561
3Huddersfield36262854
4Bradford Northern362621052
5Workington Town362241048
6Hunslet362141146
7Widnes362111443
8St. Helens362021442
9Leeds362021442
10Wakefield Trinity362021442
11Salford362011541
12Hull361911639
13Castleford361911639
14Leigh361811737
15Dewsbury361721736
16Oldham361711835
17Belle Vue Rangers361701934
18Halifax361602032
19Swinton361512031
20Keighley361512031
21Barrow361422030
22Rochdale Hornets361122324
23Bramley361202424
24Batley361112423
25Hull Kingston Rovers361012521
26Liverpool Stanley36812717
27Featherstone Rovers36603012
28York3641319

Play-offs
Semi-finals Championship final
      
1 Wigan 3
4 Bradford Northern 15
Warrington 15
Bradford Northern 5
2 Warrington 17
3 Huddersfield 5

Challenge Cup
Main article: 1947–48 Challenge Cup

Wigan beat Bradford 8–3 in the final played at Wembley in front of a crowd of 91,465. This was the first Rugby League match ever attended by the reigning monarch, HM King George VI, who presented the trophy.[2] This was also the first televised rugby league match.[3]

This was Wigan's third Cup Final win in seven Final appearances including one loss during World War II.[4] Frank Whitcombe, Bradford Northern's prop forward was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.

References
  1. "1947-48 Season summary". Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  2. John Hesman – NAK Corporate World. "Royal approval". Archived from the original on 22 April 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  3. "The History of Rugby League". Rugby League Information. napit.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  4. "RFL All Time Records". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2009.

Sources
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