1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season
| 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season | |
|---|---|
| Structure | County Championships |
| 1896–97 Season | |
| Top point-scorer(s) | Rigg ( Halifax) 112 |
| Top try-scorer(s) | Hannah ( Hunslet) 19 |
| Joined League | Yorkshire Bramley Castleford Heckmondwike Holbeck Leeds Parish Church Lancashire Morecambe Swinton Salford |
| Lancashire Senior Competition | |
| Champions | Broughton Rangers |
| Runners-up | Oldham |
| Yorkshire Senior Competition | |
| Champions | Brighouse Rovers |
| Runners-up | Manningham |
The 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the second ever season of rugby league football. Following the success of the Northern Union's first season, several more clubs from the established Rugby Football Union joined the rebel competition. This resulted in the decision that for the 1896–97 season the competition should be split into two separate county championships: Lancashire and Yorkshire. This season also saw the introduction of the Challenge Cup, with Batley defeating St Helens in the inaugural final.