The 1915–16 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the first season of Rugby league's Wartime Emergency League football.
The fixtures were usually quite local, thus cutting down on travelling time and costs, whilst not wasting precious war resources.
Several clubs did not participate during this season :- Three new clubs joined the league for this season :- Dewsbury and Leeds finished the regular season joint top of the league, based on the % system, both having obtained an 83.33% success, but Dewsbury took the title due to them having gained an extra 5 points (from the 3 extra games played).
The Challenge Cup Competition was suspended for the duration of the war.
1 - A new team St Helens Recs who would continue in the League until 1939 2 - A new team, Featherstone Rovers joined the league for this season only 3 - A newly reformed Brighouse Rangers also joined for this season