1967–68 Northern Rugby Football League season

1967–68 Rugby Football League season
League Northern Rugby Football League
Champions Wakefield Trinity
League Leaders Leeds
Top point-scorer(s) Bev Risman 332
Top try-scorer(s) Roger Millward 38
< 1966–67 Seasons 1968–69 >

The 1967–68 Rugby Football League season was the 73rd season of rugby league football.

Season summary

Leeds had ended the regular season as league leaders for the second successive season. Wakefield Trinity won their second Championship, the second in successive seasons, when they beat Hull Kingston Rovers 17-10 in the Championship Final. Gary Cooper was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.

The Challenge Cup winners were Leeds who beat Wakefield Trinity 11-10 in the final.

The BBC2 Floodlit Trophy winners were Castleford who beat Leigh 8-5 in the final.[1]

Clive Sullivan of Hull set a club record of 7-tries scored in a match against Doncaster on 15 April 1968.[2]

Warrington won the Lancashire League, and Leeds won the Yorkshire League. St. Helens beat Warrington 2–2 (replay 13–10) to win the Lancashire Cup, and Hull Kingston Rovers beat Hull 8–7 to win the Yorkshire Cup.

Championship

Team Pld W D L Pts
1Leeds34280656
2Wakefield Trinity34241949
3Hull Kingston Rovers34241949
4St Helens34241949
5Warrington342401048
6Bradford Northern342401048
7Leigh342211145
8Castleford342211145
9Salford342201244
10Workington Town342111243
11Wigan342101342
12Hull342101342
13Halifax341921340
14Swinton341811537
15Huddersfield341721536
16Widnes341711635
17Dewsbury341701734
18Featherstone Rovers341601832
19Barrow341402028
20Bramley341402028
21Hunslet341302126
22Oldham341302126
23Rochdale Hornets341302126
24Liverpool City341122124
25Whitehaven341012321
26York34912419
27Keighley34802616
28Blackpool Borough34612713
29Doncaster34422810
30Batley3441299

Play-offs

Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
                           
           
 Leeds  31
 Widnes  17  
 Leeds  7
   Wigan  11  
 Bradford Northern  8
 Wigan  28  
 Wigan  9
   Wakefield Trinity  17  
 Castleford  47
 Salford  15  
 Catleford  14
   Wakefield Trinity  17  
 Wakefield Trinity  20
 Huddersfield  11  
 Wakefield Trinity  17
   Hull K R  10
 Warrington  12
 Hull  9  
 Warrington  0
   St Helens  20  
 St Helens  
 Halifax    
 St Helens  10
   Hull K R  23   Third Place
 Hull K R  17
 Swinton  2  
 Hull K R  22    
   Leigh  3      
 Leigh  43
 Workington Town  4  

Challenge Cup

Main article: 1968 Challenge Cup

Leeds beat Wakefield 11-10 in the final played at Wembley in front of a crowd of 87,100. This was Leeds’ ninth Cup Final win in eleven Final appearances.[3] The Leeds winning team coached by Roy Francis was; Bev Risman, Alan Smith, Syd Hynes, Bernard Watson, John Atkinson, Mick Shoebottom, Barry Seabourne, Mick Clark (c), Tony Crosby, Ken Eyre, Bill Ramsey, Albert Eyre, Ray Batten subs: John Langley, Mick Joyce.

Dubbed the "Watersplash Final", this match was remembered for the atrocious pitch conditions caused by a torrential downpour that left many large puddles on the playing surface.[4] The conditions contributed to a nail biting finale. Leeds had taken an 11-7 lead with a minute to go, but Wakefield scored a try next to the posts from the kick-off. Don Fox had only to convert to win the Final, but pushed it wide of the posts.[5]

Operational rules

The playing of matches on Sundays was sanctioned for the first time in December 1967. This change was made to avoid competition from association football clubs.

References

  1. "1967-68 Season summary". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  2. "Hull F.C. History". Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  3. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  4. Demsteader, Christine (2000-10-01). "Rugby League's home from home". BBC Sport. UK: BBC. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  5. "Watersplash Final". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-08-07.

Sources

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