1987–88 Rugby Football League season

1987–88 Rugby Football League season
Stones Bitter Championship
1987–88 Season
Champions Widnes
Premiership Widnes
Man of Steel Martin Offiah
Top point-scorer(s) John Woods 351
Top try-scorer(s) Martin Offiah 44
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Second Division Oldham
Featherstone Rovers
Wakefield Trinity
Relegated to Second Division Leigh
Swinton
Hunslet
Second Division
Champions Oldham
Top point-scorer(s) Kevin Pape (Carlisle) 23
< 1986–87 Seasons 1988–89 >

The 1987–88 Rugby Football League season was the 93rd season of rugby league football in Britain.

Season summary


During the season, defending champions Wigan hosted NSWRL champions, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the 1987 World Club Challenge match. Wigan were World Club Champions for the first time when they beat Manly-Warringah 8-2 at Central Park, Wigan on 7 Oct 1987 before a crowd of 36,895 [1]

The Stones Bitter League Champions were Widnes for the second time in their history, exactly ten years after their first. Leigh, Swinton and Hunslet were relegated.

The Challenge Cup winners were Wigan who beat Halifax 32-12 in the final.

John Player Special Trophy winners were St. Helens who beat Leeds 15-14 in the final.

Rugby League Premiership Trophy Winners were Widnes who beat St. Helens 38-14 in the final.

2nd Division Champions were Oldham. Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity were also promoted. Blackpool Borough changed their name to Springfield Borough.

Wigan beat Warrington 28–16 to win the Lancashire Cup, and Bradford Northern beat Castleford 12–12 (replay 11–2) to win the Yorkshire Cup.

At the end of the season players from the League were selected to go on the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour.

League Tables

Championship Final Standings

Team Pld W D L PF PA Pts
1 Widnes 26200664131140
2 St Helens 26180867233736
3 Wigan 26172762132736
4 Bradford Northern 26180852830436
5 Leeds 26153857745033
6 Warrington 261421053141630
7 Castleford 261301350555926
8 Halifax 261201449943724
9 Hull Kingston Rovers 261111442048023
10 Hull 261101536459522
11 Salford 261001636856120
12 Leigh 26901741655918
13 Swinton 26422039078010
14 Hunslet 26422036377910
  Champions   Play-offs   Relegated

Second Division

Team Pld W D L PF PA Pts
1Oldham28231477133547
2Featherstone Rovers28212571235344
3Wakefield Trinity28201766631541
4Springfield Borough281801044835636
5Sheffield Eagles281611149042933
6York281511255852631
7Mansfield Marksman281511243941231
8Keighley281501349742830
9Barrow281421238239730
10Workington Town281501338044130
11Carlisle281411338844429
12Runcorn Highfield281401442046928
13Whitehaven281011741745221
14Bramley281011740060021
15Dewsbury281001841751920
16Doncaster28921740651220
17Fulham281001838255920
18Rochdale Hornets281001832251420
19Huddersfield Barracudas28712038359715
20Batley28612130552313
  Promoted

Challenge Cup

Main article: 1988 Challenge Cup

Wigan had reached the final by beating Bradford Northern 2-0 in Round One at home on 30 Jan; Leeds 30-14 in Round Two at home on 14 Feb; Widnes 10-1 in the Quarter Final at home on 27 Feb and Salford 34-4 in the semi-final played at Bolton on 12 Mar.

Wigan beat Halifax 32-12 in the final played at Wembley before a crowd of 94,273.[2]

This was Wigan’s ninth Challenge Cup Final win in eighteen Final appearances. It was the start of their record breaking eight Challenge Cup Final wins in a row.

The Wigan scrum half, Andy Gregory, won the Lance Todd Trophy for his man-of-the-match performance.

References

  1. "1987-88 Season summary". Archived from the original on 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  2. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-09-26. Retrieved 2009-08-07.

Sources

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