The 1933–34 Rugby Football League season was the 39th season of rugby league football. The first rugby league club in London, London Highfield competed in its inaugural season.

Season summary

Wigan won their fourth Championship when they beat Salford 15-3 in the play-off final.

Salford had ended the regular season as league leaders.

The Challenge Cup winners were Hunslet who beat Widnes 11-5.

Work begins at a former quarry that was being used as a waste dump at Odsal Top in Bradford after Bradford Northern sign a ten-year lease with the local council. This was to become the site of their current home ground, Odsal Stadium.

Salford won the Lancashire League, and Leeds won the Yorkshire League. Oldham beat St Helens Recs 12–0 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and York beat Hull Kingston Rovers 10–4 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

Championship

TeamPldWDLPFPAPts1Salford383116715281632Wigan3826012739334523Leeds3826012597376524Halifax3826012457340525York3824113481370496Hunslet3823114608441477Widnes3821413393324468Warrington3822115508370459Swinton38221154183224510Hull38213145534384511Keighley38221154293674512Huddersfield38201175003304113St. Helens38200185505004014London Highfield38200185094894015Oldham38173184005203716Castleford38171204764683517Rochdale Hornets38170214425243418St Helens Recs38161214554773319Hull Kingston Rovers38161214444823320Batley38161213904363321Leigh38152214795373222Wakefield Trinity38152213324043223Broughton Rangers38151224154953124Barrow38150233754643025Dewsbury38121253135872526Bramley38111263677902327Bradford Northern3880303377141628Featherstone Rovers3840342327348

Championship play-off

Challenge Cup

Hunslet defeated Widnes 11-5 in the final at Wembley before a crowd of 41,280.

This was Hunslet’s second Cup Final win, the first being in 1907–08, in their third Cup Final appearance.

Kangaroo Tour

August until December also saw the appearance of the Australian team in England on their 1933–34 Kangaroo Tour. Other than the three test Ashes series against Great Britain (who played under the name of England), The Kangaroos played matches against club and county representative sides as well as a non-test international against Wales and two internationals against England, the first of which was held at the Stade Pershing in Paris, the first rugby league match played in France.

The Kangaroos were captain-coach by Frank McMillan.

game Date Result Venue Attendance1 26 August Australia def. St Helens Recs 13–9 City Road, St. Helens 8,8802 30 August Australia def. Leigh 16–7 Mather Lane, Leigh 4,5903 2 September Australia def. Hull Kingston Rovers 20–0 Craven Park, Hull 7,8314 6 September Australia def. Bramley RLFC 53–6 Barley Mow, Bramley 1,9025 9 September Australia def. Oldham 38–6 The Watersheddings, Oldham 15,2816 13 September Yorkshire def. Australia 13–0 Headingley, Leeds 10,3097 16 September Australia def. Barrow 24–5 Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness 12,2218 20 September Australia def. Lancashire 33–7 Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington 16,5769 23 September Australia def. Wigan 18–17 Central Park, Wigan 15,71210 27 September Australia def. Castleford 15–2 Wheldon Road, Castleford 4,25011 30 September Australia def. Halifax 16–5 Thrum Hall, Halifax 10,35812 7 October England def. 22–14 Station Road, Swinton 34,00013 11 October Australia def. Bradford Northern 7–5 Birch Lane, Bradford 3,32814 14 October Australia def. Warrington 15–2 Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington 16,43115 18 October Australia def. Hunslet 22–18 Parkside, Hunslet 6,22716 21 October Salford def. Australia 16–9 The Willows, Salford 15,76117 26 October Australia def. Widnes 31–0 Naughton Park, Widnes 6,69118 28 October Australia def. Wakefield Trinity 17–6 Belle Vue, Wakefield 5,59619 30 October Australia def. Bradford Northern 10–7 Birch Lane, Bradford 3,32820 1 November English League XIII def. Australia 16–9 Clarence Street, York 3,15821 4 November Swinton def. Australia 10–4 Station Road, Swinton 13,34122 11 November England def. 7–5 Headingley, Leeds 29,61823 14 November Australia def. Keighley 10–7 Lawkholme Lane, Keighley 3,80024 18 November Australia def. Huddersfield 13–5 Fartown Ground, Huddersfield 7,52225 22 November Australia def. London Highfield 20–5 White City Stadium, London 10,54126 25 November Australia def. Broughton Rangers 19–0 Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Manchester 5,52727 29 November Australia def. Leeds 15–7 Headingley, Leeds 5,29528 2 December Australia def. St Helens 20–11 Knowsley Road, St. Helens 5,73529 2 December Australia def. Rochdale Hornets 26–4 Athletic Grounds, Rochdale 3,60330 9 December Cumberland def. Australia 17–16 Recreation Ground, Whitehaven 5,80031 16 December England def. 19–16 Station Road, Swinton 10,90032 23 December Australia def. York 15–7 Clarence Street, York 6,50033 25 December Australia def. Hull F.C. 9–5 The Boulevard, Hull 16,34134 30 December def. 51–19 Wembley Stadium, London 10,00035 31 December def. 63–13 Stade Pershing, Paris 5,00036 10 January Australia def. Oldham 38–5 The Watersheddings, Oldham 4,00037 13 January def. 19–14 Redheugh Park, Gateshead 15,576

References

Sources 1933-34 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website