The Australasian National Rugby League and the European Engage Superleague are the pre-eminent rugby league championships in the world. The two most successful sides from both hemispheres will clash in early 2011, almost certainly at the DW Stadium home of the Wigan Warriors.
Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club
Wigan are the champions of the 2010 Engage Superleague having beaten fierce local rivals St Helens in front of 74,000 fans in the Grand Final at Old Trafford in October. This was Wigan's 19th championship and their first since 1998. Wigan were previously the dominant force in northern rugby league having won the championship seven years in a row and the challenge cup eight years in a row in the 1980s and 1990s. They have won the World Club Challenge three times.
St George-Illawarra Dragons
Likewise the St George-Illawarra Dragons secured their premiership by beating Bondi beach boys of the Sydney Roosters in front of 85,000 people at the ANZ Stadium (of Olympic Games fame) ending a long streak of trophyless years. As Wigan were in the north, the Dragons were the dominant force in southern hemipshere rugby league. They were champions eleven years in a row in the 1960s and have many fans all over Australia as a result. St George have never been in the World Club Challenge before.
Therefore this is truly a clash of the giants and in fact a battle between the two most famous rugby league clubs in the world.
Previous World Club Challenge Champions
- 1976 Eastern Suburbs 25-2 St Helens Sydney Cricket Ground 26,865
- 1987 Wigan 8-2 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Central Park, Wigan 36,895
- 1989 Widnes 30-18 Canberra Raiders Old Trafford, Manchester 30,786
- 1991 Wigan 21-4 Penrith Panthers Anfield, Liverpool 20,152
- 1992 Brisbane Broncos 22-8 Wigan Central Park, Wigan 17,460
- 1994 Wigan 20-14 Brisbane Broncos ANZ Stadium, Brisbane 54,220
- 1997 Brisbane Broncos 36-12 Hunter Mariners, Ericsson Stadium, Auckland 12,000
- 2000 Melbourne Storm 44 – 6 St Helens JJB Stadium, Wigan 13,394
- 2001 St Helens 20 – 18 Brisbane Broncos Reebok Stadium, Bolton 16.041
- 2002 Bradford Bulls 41 – 26 Newcastle Knights Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield 21,113
- 2003 Sydney Roosters 38 – 0 St Helens Reebok Stadium Bolton 19,807
- 2004 Bradford Bulls 22 – 4 Penrith Panthers Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield 18,962
- 2005 Leeds Rhinos 39 – 32 Bulldogs RLFC Elland Road Leeds 37,028
- 2006 Bradford Bulls 30 -10 Wests Tigers Galpharm Stadium Huddersfield 19,207
- 2007 St Helens 18 – 14 Brisbane Broncos Reebok Stadium Bolton 23,247
- 2008 Leeds Rhinos – 11 – 4 Melbourne Storm Elland Road Leeds 33.204
- 2009 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 28 – 20 Leeds Rhinos Elland Road, Leeds 32,569
- 2010 Melbourne Storm beat the Leeds Rhinos but the victory is generally disregarded because the Melbourne Strom were convicted of massive salary cap fraud and were stripped off their last two NRL Premierships.
Will the WCC go down under?
Generally speaking Australia has been wary of hosting the WCC mainly because of the greater profit for the game in playing in the United Kingdom. However due to the combination of economic circumstances and the fame down under of the Cherry and Whites there has been talk of Sydney being the host in 2011. Wigan have previously won in Australia beating the Brisbane Broncos 20-14 in front of 54,220 and will be confident of achieving that again if need be. Either way a cracking game is in prospect.
Sources:
Jeffrey Baxter - My name is Jeffrey Baxter. I live in Cardiff the capital city of Wales which is part of the United Kingdom (for the time being at least). ...
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