title: 1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season
text: # 1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season
  
  The 1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 82nd season of rugby league football. Sixteen English clubs competed for the Championship, with Featherstone Rovers claiming the title.
  
  ## Season summary
  
  In July 1976, the Rugby League Council imposed a ban on players moving to Australian clubs on short term contracts unless a transfer fee was paid.
  
  In April 1977, the League's executive committee recommended as of next season that points difference should be used to determine league position for teams level on points, instead of points average.
  
  The League Champions were Featherstone Rovers for the first and, to date, only time. During the season, the Salford versus Leeds match was abandoned after 38 minutes when Chris Sanderson of Leeds suffered a fatal injury. Leeds were ahead 5-2, but the game was declared null and void and not replayed.
  
  Rochdale Hornets, Leigh, Barrow and Oldham were demoted to the Second Division.
  
  The Challenge Cup Winners were Leeds who beat Widnes 16-7 in the final.
  
  2nd Division Champions were Hull FC, and they, Dewsbury, Bramley and New Hunslet were promoted to the First Division.
  
  ## Challenge Cup
  
  Leeds beat Widnes 16-7 in the final played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 7 May 1977 in front of a crowd of 80,871. The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was the Leeds prop, Steve Pitchford.
  
  This was Leeds’ tenth Cup Final win in fourteen Final appearances.
  
  ## County Cups
  
  Widnes beat Workington Town (from Cumbria) 16–11 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Featherstone Rovers 16–12 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.
  
  ## BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
  
  BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners were Castleford who beat Leigh 12-4 in the final.
  
  ## League Cup
  
  Players No.6 Trophy Winners were Castleford who beat Blackpool Borough 25-15.
  
  ## Premiership
  
  Rugby League Premiership Trophy Winners were St. Helens who beat Warrington 32-20.
  
  ## Sources
  
  * 1976-77 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com
  * The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website
  