The 1962–63 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 68th season of rugby league football.
Season summary 1962–63 season saw the league split into two divisions with each team playing each other team home and away. The introduction of an even league meant the end of season championship play-off was abolished and the team finishing top of the table was declared champions.
1962-63 finished up with huge fixture backlogs similar to 1946-47 after "the Big Freeze" brought heavy snow and postponed most rugby league matches for two and half months.
Swinton won their fifth Championship. Oldham and Bramley were demoted to the Second Division.
The Challenge Cup winners were Wakefield Trinity who beat Wigan 25–10 in the final.
The 2nd Division Champions were Hunslet who were promoted along with second placed Keighley.
Workington Town (from Cumberland) won the Lancashire League, and Wakefield Trinity won the Yorkshire League. St. Helens beat Swinton 7–4 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Hunslet beat Hull Kingston Rovers 12–2 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.
First Division TeamPldWDLPts1Swinton302217452St. Helens3019110393Widnes3019110394Castleford3016311355Wakefield Trinity3016113336Warrington3015213327Leeds3016014328Wigan3014214309Huddersfield30140162810Hull Kingston Rovers30131162711Featherstone Rovers30123152712Workington Town30123152713Halifax30131162714Hull30102182215Oldham3091201916Bramley30902118
Champions Relegated
Second Division TeamPldWDLPFPAPts1Hunslet262204508214442Keighley262105450187423York261619418243334Blackpool Borough2615011281247305Rochdale Hornets2614111282243296Barrow2614012413280287Leigh2614012361264288Batley2613112275322279Whitehaven26122123183062610Doncaster26100162833292011Liverpool City2691161593281912Salford2681172714421713Dewsbury2680182003451614Bradford Northern2621231636325
Promoted
Challenge Cup
Wakefield Trinity beat Wigan 25–10 in the challenge Cup Final played at Wembley, in front of a crowd of 84,492.
This was Wakefield Trinity's fifth Cup Final win in their fifth Final appearance and their second in successive seasons. Harold Poynton, their stand-off half was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for his man-of-the-match performance.
County championships Prior to the start of the league season in October, each team played eight fixtures in a regional competition, with teams being split into a Western and Eastern Division. The top four teams in each division competed in the play-offs for the Divisional Championship.
Western Division PosTeamPWDLPFPAPts1Workington Town880023044162St Helens871021673153Widnes870118054144Wigan870121372145Swinton870115861146Warrington860217193127Oldham850313791108Barrow83058114469Whitehaven820684174410Rochdale Hornets820647172411Leigh810781154212Blackpool Borough801767162113Liverpool City800857204014Salford8008712950 Source:
Semi-finals
Final
Replay
Eastern Division PosTeamPWDLPFPAPts1Huddersfield880021144162Hull Kingston Rovers880018972163Featherstone Rovers870118171144Halifax870116673145Leeds861117765136Wakefield Trinity860219365127Castleford840411713788Hunslet840410914489Bramley8305108130610York8206128139411Hull820696142412Keighley820679155413Batley811663132314Bradford Northern810786236215Doncaster810740160216Dewsbury8107562342 Source:
Semi-finals
Final
County cups Lancashire Cup
Yorkshire Cup
References
Sources
1962-63 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website