1981–82 Rugby Football 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

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

• 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

Championship

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

	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

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

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

Premiership

Main article: 1981–82 Rugby League Premiership

References

• 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