Arthur Atkinson (5 April 1906 – 1963), also known by the nickname of 'Bruss', was an English professional rugby league footballer who played, mostly as a centre, from 1925 to 1940.

[citation needed] Arthur Atkinson, who was 6 feet 0 inches (183 cm) tall,[5] said he had not seen a rugby ball until the age of 17.

He was introduced to the sport by William Asquith, who suggested as they were going home from work at a coal pit that they should detour to watch Castleford training at their old ground.

He was spotted by Walter Smith, Castleford's representative on the Yorkshire County Committee and a member of the Rugby League Council, as being "a big, likely sort of lad".

[10] They won the same competition in the 1938–39 season, although he missed a large part of the campaign after injuring his leg in a match at Warrington in January 1939, which eventually resulted in him needing an operation to remove cartilage in March of that year.

[14] Playing as captain[15] at right-centre, Atkinson scored a conversion in Castleford's 11-8 victory over Huddersfield in the 1935 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London on 4 May 1935, in front of a crowd of 39,000.

[21]His journey on the 1932 tour to Australia was marked before his leaving in April by various presentations - mostly monetary and gold items - from his club's directors, supporters and players.

[23][24] The Yorkshire Evening Post arranged to carry regular weekly reports provided by Atkinson, Jim Brough and Harry Sunderland during the 1936 Australasia tour.

[26] In 1937, he and his wife faced several charges after a police raid at the pub in August found them selling alcoholic drinks outside licensed hours.