This year’s World Club Challenge (WCC) is now just weeks away, and Penrith and NRL fans alike will be hoping the Panthers can avenge their one-point loss to St Helens last year by beating the Wigan Warriors and returning the WCC trophy to Australia.
The WCC is a strange beast, beginning in 1976 as a one-off “unofficial” challenge between the Roosters and St Helens, and then promptly forgotten for the next decade until it was revived in 1987 for another on-off contest between Manly and Wigan.
In 1987 the WCC gained official recognition and was played somewhat spasmodically in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1994 before another hiatus saw the concept shelved until it was brought back in 1997 as part of the breakaway Super League competition.
Nathan Cleary and the Panthers look dejected after defeat in the World Club Challenge. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
That 1997 year could only be described as an absolute shemozzle. 22 teams from both Australian and English Super League competitions competed for the title, eventually won by the Brisbane Broncos who defeated the Hunter Mariners in the final.
It was resurrected once more in 2000 to be contested annually between the winners of the premierships in Australia and Europe. All games between 2000 and 2013 were played in the UK until 2014, when Australia hosted for the first time in 20 years.
The format changed once again in 2015 when exhibition matches were added to the spectacle, before it returned to the single game format in 2018. Covid saw the WCC cancelled in both 2021 and 2022.
Plenty has happened along the World Club Challenge journey – let’s look at some WCC trivia and fun facts.
The Roosters won the very first challenge, hold the record for the most wins with five, have never lost one, and are the only team with back-to-back WCC wins (2019 and 2020).
The record for the biggest winning margin belongs to South Sydney who defeated St Helens by 39 points to nil in 2015.
The Roosters won the 2019 World Club Challenge. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Both Melbourne and Wigan have won four each, but the Storm tally was reduced to three when their 2010 title was stripped due to their infamous salary cap breaches.
The very first match in 1976 was held mid-season, when Arthur Beetson led the Roosters to a 25 points to 2 victory over St Helens.
The 1994 match between Wigan and the Broncos drew the biggest WCC crowd when 54,220 people saw Wigan take the title by 20 points to 14, while the record for the smallest crowd of just 10,300 belongs to the 1997 Super League WCC when Brisbane played the Hunter Mariners at Mt Smart Stadium.
Both St Helens and the Leeds Rhinos share the record for the most losses, with five each, and they have also won three each.
The 1987 clash between Wigan and Manly saw Manly’s tearaway Ronn Gibbs become the first player to be sent off in a WCC game when he elbowed Wigan’s Joe Lydon. Wigan won the day by 8 points to 2, with no tries being scored.
Penrith have lost each of their three WCC matches.
Heading into this year’s game, honours are even, with Australian and English teams each with 14 wins each, after allowing for Melbourne’s 2010 win being discarded.
Ian Gildart, father of Oliver Gildart who played for the Tigers, Roosters and Dolphins in recent years, played in Wigan’s WCC wins in 1987 and 1991. Son Oliver scored a try in Wigan’s 2017 WCC win over Cronulla and also played in their 2019 loss to the Roosters.
Cameron Smith dominated World Club Challenge games, but the salary cap scandal cost him in 2010. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The Brisbane Broncos were the first Australian club to win the WCC on English soil when the defeated Wigan by 22 points to 8 in 1992.
Leeds Rhinos’ great Kevin Sinfield captained his club in an incredible six WCCs, winning in 2005, 2008 and 2012, and losing in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
The 1997 Super League WCC was a long and complicated affair, with 22 teams from the Australian and English Super Leagues fighting it out for $1m in prize money. Incredibly, 66 games were played leading up to the final, and of the 63 games between northern and southern hemisphere teams, 56 were won by teams from the Australian Super League.
Former Balmain outside back Michael Withers won WCCs with the Bradford Bulls in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Brett Morris scored plenty of World Club Challenge tries.(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Melbourne captain Cameron Smith played half back and won the man of the match award in the Storm’s 2010 victory over Leeds. Both the man of the match award and the WCC were subsequently stripped following Melbourne’s salary cap breach.
The Roosters’ Brett Morris and Leeds’ Ryan Hall share the record for most WCC tries with 5 each.
Adam Cuthbertson played in Manly’s 2009 WCC win and later in losses for Leeds in both 2016 and 2018.
Leeds bench forward Mitch Garbutt became the second player sent off in a WCC decider in their 38 points to 4 loss against the Cowboys in 2016 after landing a straight right on the chin of James Tamou.
Brett Morris won the WCC man of the match award in 2019 after scoring three tries in the first half in the Roosters’ 20 points to 8 victory over Wigan. He also crossed for two tries in the Dragons’ 2011 WCC win, also against Wigan.
what's the point when it's essentially a pre-season game? if it is to show which club is the best - how many players from either club that won their GF the year prior would be avail or compete?
I’m attending my first this year Mike, so hopefully my attendance and your parents choice of warmer climate combine to ensure a win by the mighty Panthers is pre-ordained.
It will be both of my children’s first time at seeing the Panthers live…
Me and a couple of mates skipped a double Science period in the afternoon to go across the park to see the 1976 game...wasn't a hard decision to make which one to go to!
Just looking at Wigan's 94 team and it looked prttey loaded despite misisng Phil Clarke. Big backs in BJ Mather (appeared for the Western/Perth Reds), Inga the winger and Gary Connolly, the elusive Jason Robinson before his peak, experience in the halves via Franco Botica (another Kiwi goalkicker usually good for 8-10 a game) and Shaun Edwards, then close to a GB pack anchored by Denis Betts.
Actually, that’s not quite right. St Helen’s came early, acclimatised, and had a great warm-up against St George the week before the WCC. Penrith stone cold pre-season as our sides always are. Why don’t we do what the Brits do? Is it lack of care or deliberate?
Steve Rogers had died 10 years before Cronulla lost to Wigan in the WCC. Did Flanno secretly carry a Ouija Board after putting the peptides away?
It's OK for some Aussie sides to lose in the WCC. It's not always a ref conspiracy or a "well we didn't try anyway" loss. Shocks do happen in sport. Enjoy them. St Helens did one of those last year. They had no advantages at all over Penrith but played better and deserved it. Won't happen for another 10 years if it actually does.
The NRL has a much bigger salary cap, much better homegrown players and pretty much everything else going for it. Don't get triggered by the odd loss as the tide is only moving one way.
The Brits ALWAYS come early and have warm-up matches. We never do. They know how important that is, including having a couple of weeks here to get past jet-lag. We never do that. I remember when Cronulla went over, they went sightseeing in Paris, and I remember thinking “they’re going to get belted”. They were. The media said “The Sharks are taking this very seriously; they’ve got Steve Rogers talking to them in the dressing room before the game. I thought, “well, that’ll make them match-fit”. ????
The game you're talking about was 2003 v St Helens, although Souths must have taken their game in 2015 pretty seriously too, as they defeated St Helens by 39 points to nil!
Tony
Roar Guru
Surely Nathan will shout he a mini cab ride
Tony
Roar Guru
And too much of it taken up by over the hill players from the NRL
Tony
Roar Guru
What's the weather forecast?
Tony
Roar Guru
That's what I call a no brainer
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
what's the point when it's essentially a pre-season game? if it is to show which club is the best - how many players from either club that won their GF the year prior would be avail or compete?
Mike Meehall Wood
Editor
She could get the train straight to Wigan in about 15 minutes
London Panther
Roar Rookie
I’m attending my first this year Mike, so hopefully my attendance and your parents choice of warmer climate combine to ensure a win by the mighty Panthers is pre-ordained. It will be both of my children’s first time at seeing the Panthers live…
criag
Roar Rookie
Me and a couple of mates skipped a double Science period in the afternoon to go across the park to see the 1976 game...wasn't a hard decision to make which one to go to!
Mick Jeffrey
Roar Rookie
Just looking at Wigan's 94 team and it looked prttey loaded despite misisng Phil Clarke. Big backs in BJ Mather (appeared for the Western/Perth Reds), Inga the winger and Gary Connolly, the elusive Jason Robinson before his peak, experience in the halves via Franco Botica (another Kiwi goalkicker usually good for 8-10 a game) and Shaun Edwards, then close to a GB pack anchored by Denis Betts.
Mark Worrad
Roar Rookie
Actually, that’s not quite right. St Helen’s came early, acclimatised, and had a great warm-up against St George the week before the WCC. Penrith stone cold pre-season as our sides always are. Why don’t we do what the Brits do? Is it lack of care or deliberate?
ScouseinOz
Roar Rookie
The irony is the Super League salary cap is about a third of the NRL.
ScouseinOz
Roar Rookie
Steve Rogers had died 10 years before Cronulla lost to Wigan in the WCC. Did Flanno secretly carry a Ouija Board after putting the peptides away? It's OK for some Aussie sides to lose in the WCC. It's not always a ref conspiracy or a "well we didn't try anyway" loss. Shocks do happen in sport. Enjoy them. St Helens did one of those last year. They had no advantages at all over Penrith but played better and deserved it. Won't happen for another 10 years if it actually does. The NRL has a much bigger salary cap, much better homegrown players and pretty much everything else going for it. Don't get triggered by the odd loss as the tide is only moving one way.
Mark Worrad
Roar Rookie
The Brits ALWAYS come early and have warm-up matches. We never do. They know how important that is, including having a couple of weeks here to get past jet-lag. We never do that. I remember when Cronulla went over, they went sightseeing in Paris, and I remember thinking “they’re going to get belted”. They were. The media said “The Sharks are taking this very seriously; they’ve got Steve Rogers talking to them in the dressing room before the game. I thought, “well, that’ll make them match-fit”. ????
Mark Worrad
Roar Rookie
I’m sure of it, Tony. It would be like one of our A league teams against a Premier League team. It would require the same approach
mrl
Roar Rookie
Is it in England? Nathan catch up with his girlfriend.
Tony
Roar Guru
Like Wallabies supporters :angry: Hold my beer :boxing: :boxing: (Irish whiskey actually :stoked:)
Nat
Roar Guru
Nah, they’re like WBs supporters. Plenty there just don’t want to show their head at the moment.
Tony
Roar Guru
The Dragons can't afford to lose any supporters Nat
Tony
Roar Guru
The game you're talking about was 2003 v St Helens, although Souths must have taken their game in 2015 pretty seriously too, as they defeated St Helens by 39 points to nil!
Nat
Roar Guru
Can you blame the guy for wanting a 2nd option? It’s a natural lean for a solid Qlder. :thumbup: