Unofficial World Club Champions

[sam4731]

I have undertaken a project to find the unofficial club world champions. Let me expand.

I have gone back to the 1987 WCC (the 1976 one would have been too much work) and crowned Wigan world champions. In the next match that Wigan played, they defended that title. The first match they lost, that team became new Champions which they then had to defend and so on and so forth. 

Each line is when the title passed on to its new champion.

I hope I haven't made any mistakes which would invalidate the whole thing but I hope you enjoy it for what it is, which is a bit of fun.

So without further ado, please bask in the glory of having been the world champions without even knowing it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FnrR8QuYLxsgBRW4dXt77UtsRHahbqNeEouaMAQk2Jg/edit?usp=drivesdk

Edit: Updated access now

Further edit:

Here's a version for internationals too. It starts at the beginning of international rugby league though.

No touring sides, countries only so no other Nationalities side.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y9bS9cs2nmeFofYr5_XtDrangiIESQiD0Q2vPaU_pkc/edit?usp=drivesdk

Edited March 31 by sam4731

[Sports Prophet]

6 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I have undertaken a project to find the unofficial club world champions. Let me expand.

I have gone back to the 1987 WCC (the 1976 one would have been too much work) and crowned Wigan world champions. In the next match that Wigan played, they defended that title. The first match they lost, that team became new Champions which they then had to defend and so on and so forth. 

Each line is when the title passed on to its new champion.

I hope I haven't made any mistakes which would invalidate the whole thing but I hope you enjoy it for what it is, which is a bit of fun.

So without further ado, please bask in the glory of having been the world champions without even knowing it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FnrR8QuYLxsgBRW4dXt77UtsRHahbqNeEouaMAQk2Jg/edit?usp=drivesdk

I need to request access?

[Wigan Riversider]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

I need to request access?

Have requested access so will see what happens.

I believe that the whole 1987 concept, which the RL in Chapeltown Road Leeds would not support, was dreamt up in The Boars Head public house. Wigan originally wanted to play Paramatta, B Kenny, P Sterling etc. 

However, what a scarlet night it was and I am guessing that there were 50000 on the ground as it was literally impossible to move.

[sam4731]

Sorry about that update access now.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

8 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I have undertaken a project to find the unofficial club world champions. Let me expand.

I have gone back to the 1987 WCC (the 1976 one would have been too much work) and crowned Wigan world champions. In the next match that Wigan played, they defended that title. The first match they lost, that team became new Champions which they then had to defend and so on and so forth. 

Each line is when the title passed on to its new champion.

I hope I haven't made any mistakes which would invalidate the whole thing but I hope you enjoy it for what it is, which is a bit of fun.

So without further ado, please bask in the glory of having been the world champions without even knowing it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FnrR8QuYLxsgBRW4dXt77UtsRHahbqNeEouaMAQk2Jg/edit?usp=drivesdk

Edit: Updated access now

Next job:  Put together a league table showing who has held it the most often and who, if any, have never held it. 

[Gomersall]

How come Wigan became World Champions in 2024 without beating Leigh? Disgraceful rewriting of history.

[sam4731]

3 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

Next job:  Put together a league table showing who has held it the most often and who, if any, have never held it. 

I'll leave that to someone else.

[N2022]

Can

2 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'll leave that to someone else.

Amazing piece of research work.

I was worried at one point it had gone to Aus never to return. 

Would love to see a late season St Helen's defeat to an immediately relegated club take the title down into the Championship, and maybe a Challenge Cup upset then have it reside in the division below that for a season or two.

[Toby Chopra]

14 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I have undertaken a project to find the unofficial club world champions. Let me expand.

I have gone back to the 1987 WCC (the 1976 one would have been too much work) and crowned Wigan world champions. In the next match that Wigan played, they defended that title. The first match they lost, that team became new Champions which they then had to defend and so on and so forth. 

Each line is when the title passed on to its new champion.

I hope I haven't made any mistakes which would invalidate the whole thing but I hope you enjoy it for what it is, which is a bit of fun.

So without further ado, please bask in the glory of having been the world champions without even knowing it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FnrR8QuYLxsgBRW4dXt77UtsRHahbqNeEouaMAQk2Jg/edit?usp=drivesdk

Edit: Updated access now

Love it! Bramley and Rydale-York were lineal World Champions. And well done Saints for breaking that Aussie dominance:)

[N2022]

It would be interesting to see how a Super League equivalent would pan out and what surprising teams would have won it on this League Ladder basis. Guess there are multiple versions, depending on whether you start from champions prior to SL or first SL champs and what you do with postseason, Super 8 etc. Perfect weekend for someone to find the time though, if not buying and building furniture tomorrow...

 

[sam4731]

11 minutes ago, N2022 said:

Can

Amazing piece of research work.

I was worried at one point it had gone to Aus never to return. 

Would love to see a late season St Helen's defeat to an immediately relegated club take the title down into the Championship, and maybe a Challenge Cup upset then have it reside in the division below that for a season or two.

It did go down to the second tier for brief periods earlier on when CC upsets were more common.

[N2022]

7 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

It did go down to the second tier for brief periods earlier on when CC upsets were more common.

Ah, thanks, didn't know who was in what division when, though would guess maybe Swinton, and certainly Rydale-York would have been a giveaway if I'd clocked them. Funny to see Harlequins in there. 

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

21 minutes ago, N2022 said:

Would love to see a late season St Helen's defeat to an immediately relegated club take the title down into the Championship, and maybe a Challenge Cup upset then have it reside in the division below that for a season or two.

Saints v Leigh is last match of regular season. Saints field a weakened team (as per usual) and Leigh pick up only their 2nd win of the season just prior to dropping down a division due to low IMG ranking. 

Possible late reprieve as RFL award 0.5 IMG points to holders of Unofficial World Club Championship.

[JonM]

The Courtney Goodwill Trophy ran on this basis for some years - matches between GB/England, France, Australia, New Zealand were eligible and whoever beat the current holder became the new holder of it.

[N2022]

1 minute ago, JonM said:

The Courtney Goodwill Trophy ran on this basis for some years - matches between GB/England, France, Australia, New Zealand were eligible and whoever beat the current holder became the new holder of it.

So, let me guess, Aus still hold it, and it's the risk of losing the Courtney Goodwill Trophy that's the reason the international schedule is pretty much non-existent.

[JonM]

2 minutes ago, N2022 said:

So, let me guess, Aus still hold it, and it's the risk of losing the Courtney Goodwill Trophy that's the reason the international schedule is pretty much non-existent.

That's a good opportunity to remind ourselves that Australia's most recent game was a 30 points to 0 defeat against New Zealand

Edited March 31 by JonM

[doc]

Widnes lost to Sheffield in 1989 , after the WCC game. Sheffield then went on about it for years after!

[JonM]

13 minutes ago, doc said:

Widnes lost to Sheffield in 1989 , after the WCC game. Sheffield then went on about it for years after!

I remember that game very well. Arrived about 2 hours before kick-off, no-one there to take my money, so just wandered into the ground. Saw the state of some of the Widnes players and knew we were going to get beaten. Also remember thinking that Kurt Sorensen's arms were about the same size as Jonathan Davies's legs.

[sam4731]

Here's a version for internationals too. It starts at the beginning of international rugby league though.

No touring sides, countries only so no other Nationalities side.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y9bS9cs2nmeFofYr5_XtDrangiIESQiD0Q2vPaU_pkc/edit?usp=drivesdk

[Griff]

25 minutes ago, doc said:

Widnes lost to Sheffield in 1989 , after the WCC game. Sheffield then went on about it for years after!

Still do.

[sam4731]

1 hour ago, doc said:

Widnes lost to Sheffield in 1989 , after the WCC game. Sheffield then went on about it for years after!

Edit: mistake corrected.

Edited March 31 by sam4731

[N2022]

28 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Yep just checked, I made a mistake. Oh well, anyone can feel free to backdate it or we just ignore Sheffield?

Edit: It actually gets back on track fairly quickly so I will update it at some point. Sorry Sheffield.

Great job. Would be brilliant to see it kept alive and up to date on here. 

[N2022]

Looks like this weekend would be a chance for Catalans to hold this crown for the fourth time.

[MattSantos]

A thousand times, no.

Go back to 1976 and do it properly, or don't do it at all.

 

[sam4731]

8 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

A thousand times, no.

Go back to 1976 and do it properly, or don't do it at all.

 

Sorry, I'll take this very serious and important project which has a massive impact on all of RL, determining its very existence and shelve it because I didn't do it to your specifications. I can only offer my sincerest apologies and promise never to insult the sacred name of this completely fictional competition ever again.