The 1946–47 Rugby Football League season was the 52nd season of rugby league football.
Season summary
1946-47 ended up being the longest season on record after a poor winter saw many matches postponed. Just as the country was recovering from post-World War II fuel and food shortages, it had to cope with prolonged frost and snow from 21 January to 16 March.
Wigan won their sixth Championship when they beat Dewsbury 13-4 in the play-off final at Maine Road, Manchester in front of a crowd of 40,599. Wigan scored three tries and two goals to Dewsbury's two goals. Wigan had also ended the regular season as league leaders.
The Challenge Cup winners were Bradford Northern who were 8-4 winners over Leeds.
Leigh returned following World War II. Broughton Rangers relocated, and were renamed Belle Vue Rangers.
Wigan won the Lancashire League, and Dewsbury won the Yorkshire League. Wigan beat Belle Vue Rangers 9–3 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Wakefield Trinity beat Hull F.C. 10–0 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.
Championship
TeamPldWDLPts1Wigan362916592Dewsbury362718553Widnes362628544Leeds362529525Warrington3626010526Bradford Northern362439517Huddersfield3624210508Oldham3622212469Leigh36210154210Wakefield Trinity36202144211Workington Town36192154012Barrow36184144013Castleford36191163914Hunslet36172173615Hull36170193416Hull Kingston Rovers36153183317Batley36151203118Belle Vue Rangers36143193119St. Helens36141212920Halifax36132212821York36122222622Salford36112232423Liverpool Stanley36111242324Swinton36111242325Keighley36101252126Featherstone Rovers3691261927Rochdale Hornets3690271828Bramley36503110
Play-offs
WiganNumberDewsbury Teams Jack Cunliffe1Jimmy LedgardBrian Nordgren2Des ArmitageTed Ward3Geoff ClarkErnie Ashcroft4Ken SackerJohnny Lawrenson5George WithingtonCecil Mountford6Cyril GilbertsonTommy Bradshaw7Harry RoyalKen Gee8Harry HammondJoe Egan9Vince McKeatingFrank Barton10Ben PearsonGeorge Banks11Frank CoxBilly Blan12Jack HoltJack Blan13Arthur StreetJim SullivanCoachVic Hey
Challenge Cup
Leeds reached the Wembley final for the second time, doing so without conceding a single point in the final five rounds of the tournament. However Bradford Northern beat Leeds 8-4 in the final in front of a crowd of 77,605. Trevor Foster and Emlyn Walters scored Bradford's tries and were converted by Ernest Ward. Willie Davies, Bradford Northern's stand-off half back, won the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match.
This was Bradford’s third Cup Final win in five Final appearances including one win and one loss during World War II.
County cups
Sources
1946-47 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website
References