1942–43 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season

none 1942–43 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season 1942–43 Season Void Champions Wigan League leaders 1941–42 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season 1941–42 1943–44 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season 1943–44 The 1942–43 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the fourth season of the rugby league’s Wartime Emergency Leagues necessitated by the Second World War. As in the previous wartime season, clubs did not all play the same number of games. Three clubs dropped out before the season started. Only 14 of the pre-war clubs participated with only three; Oldham, St Helens and Wigan from west of the Pennines. Season summary The 1942–43 season began on Saturday 5 September 1942. As in the previous season, there were still only three Lancashire clubs, the Northern Rugby League continued with a single 14 club competition. As the clubs were playing different number of marches, the league positions were decided on a win percentage basis. At the completion of the regular season Wigan were on top of the league with a percentage success of 81.25% and Dewsbury were second (78.12%). Although Bradford Northern won more games than anyone else their percentage success was only 73.80%, and consequently they finished third. St Helens finished last with only two wins from 15. Dewsbury went on to defeat Halifax 33–16 on aggregate in the play-off final, however the Championship was declared null and void as the Dewsbury had fielded an ineligible player in the semi-final. In the Rugby league Challenge Cup Final, Dewsbury beat Leeds 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470. Change in participation The RFL announced the fixture list at the end of July 1942 with 15 clubs entered.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19420730/137/0004 Rugby League Plans Yorkshire Post 30 July 1942 4 29631 subscription British Newspaper Archive This was a reduction of two from the previous year as Bramley and Castleford had already notified the RFL of their intentions not to take part in the season.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19420728/031/0002 R.L. Cup Dates Hull Daily Mail 2 17699 28 July 1942 subscription British Newspaper Archive However before the season started, Hunslet's football committee announced their withdrawal due to the amount of travel required.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19420819/157/0001 Rugby League Surprise Halifax Courier 19 August 1942 1 19183 subscription British Newspaper Archive The Hunslet committee's decision was contested by the members of the club who forced a special meeting of the club at which a resolution was passed instructing the committee to withdraw the notice given to the RFL, subject to additional financial guarantors being found.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19420922/085/0005 Progress of Effort to Resume Playing Yorkshire Evening Post 22 September 1942 5 16202 subscription British Newspaper Archive Meeting between prospective guarantors and the committee failed to reach agreement and Hunslet's withdrawal from the league stood, leaving the league with 14 clubs.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19420929/133/0005 No Football at Parkside Yorkshire Post 29 September 1942 5 29683 subscription British Newspaper Archive Championship main WDL Q 2 yes percentage notratio p complete Saxton Irvin History of Rugby League: No. 48 1942–43 Rugby Leaguer 3 13 0 3 301 141 WIG Wigan 12 1 3 270 117 DEW Dewsbury 13 1 5 312 183 BRA Bradford Northern 13 0 6 297 149 HFX Halifax 11 1 5 337 145 LEE Leeds 12 0 6 215 189 HUD Huddersfield 11 1 7 267 192 WFD Wakefield Trinity 10 1 8 179 138 FEV Featherstone Rovers 5 2 11 145 235 KEI Keighley 4 0 11 158 294 BAT Batley 4 0 11 125 295 HUL Hull 4 0 15 142 306 OLD Oldham 3 1 13 112 311 YOU York 2 0 13 108 273 STH St. Helens Championship play-offs Qualifying game On 1 May 1943 Bradford Northern beat Huddersfield 16–13 at Odsal Stadium, Bradford in the qualifying game.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430503/095/0004 Results at a Glance Liverpool Daily Post 4 3 May 1943 ((27,387)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Semi-finals The semi-finals were played on 8 May 1943. Wigan lost 3–13 to Halifax at Central Park, Wigan.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430510/092/0004 Rugby League Liverpool Daily Post 4 10 May 1943 ((27,393)) subscription British Newspaper Archive In the other game Bradford Northern beat Dewsbury 8–3 at Odsal.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430511/097/0004 Rugby League Protest Liverpool Daily Post 4 11 May 1943 ((27,394)) subscription British Newspaper Archive After the game Dewsbury submitted a protest to the Rugby Football League and Bradford Northern were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430512/056/0004 Dewsbury for R.L. Final Hull Daily Mail 4 12 May 1943 ((17,943)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Final The first leg was played on 15 May 1943 Dewsbury beat Halifax 11–3 at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000687/19430517/181/0005 Dewsbury's Lead in Championship Yorkshire Post 5 17 May 1943 ((29,877)) subscription British Newspaper Archive The second leg was played the following Saturday, 22 May 1943 and Dewbury won again this time 22–13 at Thrum Hall, Halifax in front of a crowd of 9,700.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19430524/144/0005 Championship for Dewsbury Yorkshire Post 5 24 May 1943 ((29,883)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Dewsbury won 33–16 on aggregate but at a meeting of the RFL committee in July the championship was declared null and void. The committee heard a complaint submitted by Bradford Northern that in the semi-final between them and Dewsbury, Dewsbury had also fielded an ineligible player. The complaint was upheld, the championship was voided, Dewsbury's title win was removed from the list of Championship wins and the club were fined £100.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430708/011/0001 Rugby League Title: Championship Declared Void Hull Daily Mail 1 8 July 1943 ((17,992)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Cup competitions Challenge Cup 1942–43 Challenge Cup Barrow who had not entered the League programme, took part in this competition. In the final Dewsbury beat Leeds 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470. Yorkshire Cup 1942–43 Yorkshire Cup With the Lancashire Cup suspended for the duration of the war, Wigan competed in the Yorkshire Cup. The cup was won by Dewsbury who beat Huddersfield 7–2 on aggregate before an aggregate crowd of 17,252 in the two low scoring legs of the final References 30em Category:1942 in English rugby league Category:1943 in English rugby league Category:Northern Rugby Football League seasons