1981–82 Rugby Football League season

Rugby league season

1981–82 Rugby Football League season

League| Slalom Lager Championship
Teams| 16
Champions|  Leigh
Premiership winners|  Widnes
Man of Steel Award| Mick Morgan (Carlisle)
Top try-scorer(s)|  Des Drummond 26
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Second Division|

* Oldham
* Carlisle
* Workington Town
* Halifax

Relegated to Second Division|

* Fulham
* Wakefield Trinity
* York
* Whitehaven

Second Division
Champions|  Oldham
Top point-scorer(s)|  Lynn Hopkins 446
Top try-scorer(s)|  John Jones 31

← 1980–81

1982–83 →

The 1981–82 Rugby Football League season was the 87th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1981 until May, 1982 for the Championship.

## Season summary

[edit]

* Slalom Lager League Champions: Leigh
* Challenge Cup Winners: Hull F.C. (18-9 v Widnes in replay after 14–14 draw)
* Slalom Lager Premiership Trophy Winners: Widnes (23-8 v Hull)
* John Player Special Trophy Winners: Hull F.C. (12-4 v Hull Kingston Rovers)
* 2nd Division Champions: Oldham

Leigh finished on top of the First Division table to claim their second and, to date, last championship, but Widnes won the Rugby League Premiership competition. Fulham, Wakefield Trinity, York and Whitehaven were demoted to the Second Division. Oldham, Carlisle, Workington Town and Halifax were promoted to the First Division.

Cardiff City Blue Dragons and Carlisle joined the competition in Division Two.

Leigh beat Widnes 8–3 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Castleford beat Bradford Northern 10–5 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

## League Tables

[edit]

### Championship

[edit]

Final Standings

|  | Team  | Pld  | W  | D  | L  | PF  | PA  | PD  | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | Leigh | 30 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 572 | 343 | +229 | 49
2 | Hull | 30 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 611 | 273 | +338 | 47
3 | Widnes | 30 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 551 | 317 | +234 | 47
4 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 30 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 554 | 319 | +235 | 45
5 | Bradford Northern | 30 | 20 | 1 | 9 | 425 | 332 | +93 | 41
6 | Leeds | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 514 | 418 | +96 | 35
7 | St Helens | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 465 | 415 | +50 | 35
8 | Warrington | 30 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 403 | 468 | +65 | 30
9 | Barrow | 30 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 408 | 445 | -37 | 26
10 | Featherstone Rovers | 30 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 482 | 493 | -11 | 25
11 | Wigan | 30 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 424 | 435 | -11 | 24
12 | Castleford | 30 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 486 | 505 | -19 | 21
13 | Fulham | 30 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 365 | 539 | -174 | 19
14 | Wakefield Trinity | 30 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 341 | 526 | -185 | 19
15 | York | 30 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 330 | 773 | -443 | 10
16 | Whitehaven | 30 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 224 | 565 | -341 | 7

### Second Division

[edit]

|  | Club | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Oldham | 32  | 30  | 0  | 2  | 734  | 276  | 60
2  | Carlisle | 32  | 28  | 0  | 4  | 649  | 296  | 56
3  | Workington Town | 32  | 24  | 0  | 8  | 777  | 311  | 48
4  | Halifax | 32  | 22  | 0  | 10  | 516  | 340  | 44
5  | Salford | 32  | 20  | 1  | 11  | 656  | 433  | 41
6  | Hunslet | 32  | 18  | 1  | 13  | 481  | 452  | 37
7  | Keighley | 32  | 18  | 0  | 14  | 514  | 426  | 36
8  | Cardiff | 32  | 17  | 1  | 14  | 566  | 549  | 35
9  | Dewsbury | 32  | 16  | 0  | 16  | 357  | 464  | 32
10  | Swinton | 32  | 15  | 0  | 17  | 514  | 418  | 30
11  | Huddersfield | 32  | 13  | 1  | 18  | 370  | 523  | 27
12  | Bramley | 32  | 13  | 0  | 19  | 381  | 513  | 26
13  | Rochdale Hornets | 32  | 10  | 1  | 21  | 361  | 484  | 21
14  | Batley | 32  | 8  | 0  | 24  | 357  | 596  | 16
15  | Blackpool Borough | 32  | 7  | 0  | 25  | 341  | 608  | 14
16  | Doncaster | 32  | 5  | 1  | 26  | 319  | 793  | 11
17  | Huyton | 32  | 5  | 0  | 27  | 296  | 707  | 10
| Champions  |  | Play-offs  |  | Promoted  |  | Relegated

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

## Challenge Cup

[edit]

Main article: 1981–82 Challenge Cup

The 1981-82 State Express Challenge Cup was won by Hull F.C. after defeating Widnes 18–9 in the final after a replay.

The Final was played at Wembley before a crowd of 92,147 and ended in a 14–14 draw. The replay was played at Elland Road before a crowd of 41,171.

## League Cup

[edit]

Main article: 1981–82 League Cup (rugby league)

## Premiership

[edit]

Main article: 1981–82 Rugby League Premiership

## References

[edit]

* Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David, eds. (1982). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1982-83. Rothmans Publications. ISBN 978-0-907574-15-6.
* 1981-82 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com

* v
* t
* e

Rugby Football League seasons

Rugby Football League era
(1895–1996)|

|  | 1895–96 | 1896–97 | 1897–98 | 1898–99 | 1899–1900

|
|
|
|
|

1900–01 | 1901–02 | 1902–03 | 1903–04 | 1904–05 | 1905–06 | 1906–07 | 1907–08 | 1908–09 | 1909–10
1910–11 | 1911–12 | 1912–13 | 1913–14 | 1914–15 | 1915–16 | 1916–17 | 1917–18 | 1918–19 | 1919–20
1920–21 | 1921–22 | 1922–23 | 1923–24 | 1924–25 | 1925–26 | 1926–27 | 1927–28 | 1928–29 | 1929–30
1930–31 | 1931–32 | 1932–33 | 1933–34 | 1934–35 | 1935–36 | 1936–37 | 1937–38 | 1938–39 | 1939–40
1940–41 | 1941–42 | 1942–43 | 1943–44 | 1944–45 | 1945–46 | 1946–47 | 1947–48 | 1948–49 | 1949–50
1950–51 | 1951–52 | 1952–53 | 1953–54 | 1954–55 | 1955–56 | 1956–57 | 1957–58 | 1958–59 | 1959–60
1960–61 | 1961–62 | 1962–63 | 1963–64 | 1964–65 | 1965–66 | 1966–67 | 1967–68 | 1968–69 | 1969–70
1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 | 1976–77 | 1977–78 | 1978–79 | 1979–80
1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90
1990–91 | 1991–92 | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 |

Super League era
(1996–present)|

|  | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000

|
|
|
|
|

2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template