- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
In February of 2015, six teams – three from Australia’s NRL and three from the UK Super League – will compete in a revamped version of the traditional World Club Challenge.
Other than not being held, the only other variation of this club challenge concept, where the champions of each league play each other for a quasi-ultimate glory was in 1997, during rugby league’s infamous civil war.
The breakaway Super League organised what at the time was the closest attempt at a true world club challenge, pitting all of the Super League-aligned rugby league clubs from the UK and Australia and New Zealand against each other.
The massive logistics costs, the terrible timing during a savage intra-code war and the one-sided results almost sounded the death knell for rugby league’s dormant champions’ tournament for a number of years after.
Once the concept was reintroduced, the traditional format was followed where the grand final winners from each of rugby league’s two professional leagues competed.
Now, the format has been updated. While the two premiers will still battle it out, four more teams will be added, providing two exhibition matches prior to that main event.
In World Club Series 2015, Game 1 will feature the Warrington Wolves taking on the St. George-Illawarra Dragons, Game 2 will see the Wigan Warriors up against the Brisbane Broncos.
The final match, the highlight of the series, will see two of rugby league’s most historic clubs take each other on – NRL premiers South Sydney and Super League champions St Helens.
Whether it is known as the World Club Challenge or the World Club Series, the basic premise of forging greater competitive links between the world’s only two professional rugby league competitions is a winner, particularly in the long term.
From within the dark patches of apathy, international club rugby league seems to be finally finding its place in the sun.
Placing each competition within a much grander global framework may just be the ticket in helping to secure rugby league’s international future.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.