World Club Challenge
| World Club Challenge | |
|---|---|
 Current season or competition:2013 World Club Challenge |
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| Sport | Rugby league football |
| Instituted | 1989 |
| Inaugural season | 1976 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Region | International (RFL[1]) |
| World Champions | Melbourne Storm (2013) |
| Broadcast partner | Sky Sports |
| Related competitions | Super League National Rugby League |
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league match played between the champion clubs of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League. The first such match was played in 1976 but did not become a regular fixture until the late 1980s. It was also punctuated in the 1990s' by the Super League war. Melbourne Storm are the current champions, having defeated Leeds 18–14 in 2013.
Contents |
History [edit]
1976 - 1994: The early years [edit]
The competition began unofficially in 1976 as a match between Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and RFL Premiership winners St Helens. In 1987, another unofficial match took place when Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay invited Manly-Warringah to Central Park.[2] The first official World Club Challenge was between Widnes and Canberra in 1989. Three further matches, each involving Wigan, were staged in the early 1990s with the 1994 match being staged in Australia. This would be the last time for 20 years that this would happen.
If only we could see a genuine contest between Wigan and Brisbane – a World Club final. Alas, it will never happen. Oh sure, a game might be arranged, but logistics dictate that one side would be out of season, rusty or tired, and away from home.
After the 1994 match logistical issues mean't the concept was put on hiatus until it was revived in 1997.
1995 - 1998: The Super League Years [edit]
With the outbreak of the Australian Super League War in 1995, the World Club Challenge was not staged again until 1997 when the competition was restructured to include twenty-two clubs from the Australian and European Super Leagues. With six rounds in two hemispheres and $1,000,000 prize money, the competition was prohibitively expensive to stage and reportedly lost over $5,000,000. This, coupled with the poor ratings and attendances both in Australia and Europe, led to the competition being postponed for two seasons.
Returning to a one-off match between the League champions in 1998, a World Club Challenge as a show-piece fixture at Ellis Park in Johannesburg was mooted.[4] However this didn't eventuate.
1999 - 2008: Resurrection and establishment of regular competition [edit]
When it was resurrected in 2000, the World Club Challenge was once more played between the winners of the premierships in Australasia and Europe. During this period it was contested annually in the United Kingdom in late January or early February, before the commencement National Rugby League season and the Super League season.
Over this period Super League teams dominated the tournament winning 7 of 9 matches, and this led, Australian commentators to often deride the competition, citing the British refusal to play the game outside of the UK, the effects of jet lag on Australian teams who often arrive in England only a couple of days before the game and wintry conditions as reasons for Australian teams' poor performances.
The game being played at the beginning of the new season instead of at the end of the previous season, so the rosters of both sides have normally changed considerably, therefore the teams that take the field are not the ones that won the respective premierships. For these reasons, it was viewed as merely a pre-season warm up game by most Australasian teams and fans. [5][6]
2009 - 2012: An increase in popularity [edit]
Since the 2009 tournament, the popularity of the tournament increased with stronger crowds and also with Australian teams taking the concept more seriously, Australian teams were arriving earlier to acclimatize the players and often organising warm up games with other super league sides and this created a much stronger showing and improved results. This also led to an increased movement to having the tournament staged in Australia. During this period, the matches were fixtured in late February, still before the commencement National Rugby League season but in the early stages of the new Super League season.
2013 - present: A return to Australia and expansion [edit]
In mid-2012, a working party was established to look into the feasibility of conducting the match in either a neutral or Australian venue and also looking into the possibility of expanding the tournament. [7] In February 2013, changes to the tournament were formalised with the NRL and Super League agreeing to begin alternating the World Club Challenge tournament between UK and Australia. Therefore the 2014 World Club Challenge will be the first held in Australia since 1994. In addition, commencing in 2015, the tournament will also be expanded to six teams. Details of exactly how and when this tournament will be staged and what format it will take are yet to be decided.[8]
Results [edit]
- Notes
^ a: This is the result from the grand final of a 22-team 1997 World Club Championship.
^ b: The NRL stripped Melbourne Storm as a result of their breach of the salary cap.
[9]
Statistics and records [edit]
NOTE: These statistics DO NOT include any matches other than the final of the 1997 World Club Championship.
Titles won [edit]
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 12 |  UK |
| 8 |  Australia |
Club Records [edit]
Overall record (club) [edit]
| Team | Titles | Runners-up | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds Rhinos |
3 (2005, 2008, 2012) | 3 (2009, 2010, 2013) | 50% |
| Wigan Warriors |
3 (1987, 1991, 1994) | 2 (1992, 2011) | 60% |
| Bradford Bulls |
3 (2002, 2004, 2006) | – | 100% |
| Brisbane Broncos |
2 (1992, 1997) | 3 (1994, 2001, 2007) | 40% |
| St Helens |
2 (2001, 2007) | 3 (1976, 2000, 2003) | 40% |
| Sydney Roosters |
2 (1976, 2003) | – | 100% |
| Melbourne Storm |
2 (2000, |
1 (2008) | 66% |
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles |
1 (2009) | 2 (1987, 2012) | 33% |
| Widnes Vikings |
1 (1989) | – | 100% |
| St George Illawarra Dragons |
1 (2011) | - | 100% |
| Penrith Panthers |
– | 2 (1991, 2004) | 0% |
| Bulldogs RLFC |
– | 1 (2005) | 0% |
| Canberra Raiders |
– | 1 (1989) | 0% |
| Hunter Mariners |
– | 1 (1997) | 0% |
| Newcastle Knights |
– | 1 (2002) | 0% |
| Wests Tigers |
– | 1 (2006) | 0% |
Biggest wins [edit]
| Points | Score | Champions | Runners-up | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 38–0 | Sydney Roosters | St. Helens | 2003 |
| 38 | 44–6 | Melbourne Storm | St. Helens | 2000 |
| 24 | 36–12 | Brisbane Broncos | Hunter Mariners | 1997 |
Most points in a game by a winning side [edit]
| Points | Score | Champions | Runners-Up | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 44–6 | Melbourne Storm | St. Helens | 2000 |
| 41 | 41–26 | Bradford Bulls | Newcastle Knights | 2002 |
| 39 | 39–32 | Leeds Rhinos | Canterbury Bulldogs | 2005 |
Most points in a game by a losing side [edit]
| Points | Score | Champions | Runners-Up | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 39–32 | Leeds Rhinos | Canterbury Bulldogs | 2005 |
| 26 | 41–26 | Bradford Bulls | Newcastle Knights | 2002 |
| 20 | 28–20 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | Leeds Rhinos | 2009 |
| 18 | 20–18 | St. Helens | Brisbane Broncos | 2001 |
| 18 | 30–18 | Widnes Vikings | Canberra Raiders | 1989 |
Highest scoring matches [edit]
| Points | Score | Champions | Runners-Up | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 39–32 | Leeds Rhinos | Canterbury Bulldogs | 2005 |
| 67 | 41–26 | Bradford Bulls | Newcastle Knights | 2002 |
| 50 | 44–6 | Melbourne Storm | St. Helens | 2000 |
Lowest scoring matches [edit]
| Points | Score | Champions | Runners-Up | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8–2 | Wigan Warriors | Manly Sea Eagles | 1987 |
| 15 | 11–4 | Leeds Rhinos | Melbourne Storm | 2008 |
| 25 | 21–4 | Wigan Warriors | Penrith Panthers | 1991 |
Individual Records [edit]
Top 4 Most points scored (individual) [edit]
| Points | Name (club/s) | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Drop Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Kevin Sinfield (Leeds) | 6 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| 24 | Frano Botica (Wigan) | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 23 | Paul Deacon (Bradford) | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 22 | Craig Fitzgibbon (Roosters) | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
Multiple Try scorers [edit]
No player has scored a hat-trick of tries in a World Club Challenge final.
| Tries | Name (club/s) |
|---|---|
| 4 | Ryan Hall (Leeds) |
| 3 | Marcus Bai (Melbourne / Bradford) Michael Hancock (Brisbane) Jamie Jones-Buchanan (Leeds) Danny McGuire (Leeds) Darren Smith (Brisbane) Brett Stewart (Manly) |
| 2 | George Carmont (Wigan) Hazem El Masri (Bulldogs) Stuart Fielden (Bradford) Ade Gardner (St Helens) Scott Hill (Melbourne) Andrew Johns (Newcastle) Jamahl Lolesi (Canterbury, Wests Tigers) Brett Morris (St George Illawarra) Martin Offiah (Widnes) Julian O'Neill (Brisbane) Robbie Paul (Bradford) Robbie Ross (Melbourne) Paul Sculthorpe (St Helens) Lesley Vainikolo (Bradford) Anthony Watmough (Manly) Michael Withers (Bradford) Nick Zisti (Hunter) |
Top 5 Goal Scorers (conversions and penalties) [edit]
| Goals | Name (club/s) |
|---|---|
| 17 | Kevin Sinfield (Leeds) |
| 12 | Frano Botica (Wigan) |
| 11 | Paul Deacon (Bradford / Wigan) |
| 9 | Craig Fitzgibbon (Roosters) |
| 8 | Cameron Smith (Melbourne) |
Drop goals [edit]
| Goals | Name (club/s) |
|---|---|
| 2 | Sinfield (Leeds) |
| 1 | Deacon (Bradford) Long (St Helens) Lydon (Wigan) Sculthorpe (St Helens) Soward (St George Illawarra) Tomkins (Wigan) |
Grounds [edit]
| Venue | City | Number of Games | Highest Crowd | Lowest Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anfield | Liverpool | 1 | 20,152 | 20,152 |
| ANZ Stadium | Brisbane | 1 | 54,220 | 54,220 |
| Central Park | Wigan | 2 | 36,895 | 17,460 |
| Elland Road | Leeds | 4 | 37,208 | 27,697 |
| Alfred McAlpine Stadium / Galpharm Stadium | Huddersfield | 3 | 21,113 | 18,962 |
| Headingley Stadium | Leeds | 2 | 21,062 | 20,400 |
| JJB Stadium / DW Stadium | Wigan | 2 | 24,268 | 13,394 |
| Ericsson Stadium | Auckland | 1 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| Old Trafford | Manchester | 1 | 30,786 | 30,786 |
| Reebok Stadium | Bolton | 3 | 23,207 | 16,041 |
| Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney | 1 | 26,865 | 26,865 |
References [edit]
- ^ Sky Sports (2009-03-02). "RFL cool on bigger Challenge". BSkyB. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ Wilson, Andy (3 October 2010). "Wigan prepare to slay Dragons after crushing St Helens in Grand Final". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ Townsend, David (27 September 1992). "Just a Touch of the Old Dart". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia: Fairfax Media). p. 47. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (1998-09-23). "League proposes show in S Africa". The Independent (UK: independent.co.uk). Retrieved 2010-04-24.
- ^ Phil Gould (2006-02-05). "Humbling highlights Tigers' reliance on Benji". SMH. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ Langdon, Mark (2005-02-04). "Deadly Danny can get St Helens off to a flyer". The Racing Post (London, England: MGN LTD). Retrieved 2009-10-05.
- ^ rleague.com (2012-05-20). "World Club Challenge Expansion Working Party Group". rleague.com. Retrieved 2013-02-05.
- ^ Steve Mascord (2013-02-14). "World Club Challenge to be held in Australia". Canberra Times. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
- ^ NRL.com (2011-05-11). "Final Report: Storm Salary Cap investigation". NRL. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
- ^ "World Club Challenge Statistics". Rugby League Project. 2013-05-16.
- ^ "1997 World Club Challenge Final Statistics". Rugby League Project. 2013-05-16.
Sources [edit]
- Gallaway, Jack (2001). The Brisbane Broncos: The Team To Beat. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0-7022-3342-0.
- Rugby Super League website
- telegraph.co.uk website
External links [edit]
- RLIF.ORG – Rugby League International Federation
- World Club Challenge Preview
- World Club Challenge Review
- World Club Challenge at 188-rugby-league.co.uk
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