WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE
WIGAN WARRIORS v PENRITH PANTHERS
WIGAN WARRIORS will make a record ninth appearance in a World Club Challenge on 24 February (moving ahead of Leeds Rhinos’ total of eight).
With victory, the Warriors will also set a new record for most wins in the fixture. Wigan’s four previous triumphs is a total they currently share with Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters.
Wigan Warriors – previous World Club Challenge appearances
Liam Farrell
(2019, Wigan Warriors v Sydney Roosters, Lost)
(2017, Wigan Warriors v Cronulla Sharks, Won)
(2014, Wigan Warriors v Sydney Roosters, Lost)
(2011, Wigan Warriors v St George Illawarra Dragons, Lost)
Willie Isa
(2019, Wigan Warriors v Sydney Roosters, Lost)
Liam Marshall
(2019, Wigan Warriors v Sydney Roosters, Lost)
Luke Thompson
(2020, St Helens v Sydney Roosters, Lost)
(2015, St Helens v South Sydney Rabbitohs, Lost)
Penrith Panthers – previous World Club Challenge appearances
Nathan Cleary
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Matt Eisenhuth
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
James Fisher-Harris
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Luke Garner
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Mitch Kenny
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Moses Leota
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Jarome Luai
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Taylan May
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Lindsay Smith
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Izack Tago
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Brian To’o
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Sunia Turuva
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
Isaah Yeo
(2023, Penrith Panthers v St Helens, Lost)
WIGAN WARRIORS qualified for this year’s World Club Challenge by beating Catalans Dragons 10-2 in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 14 October 2023. Attendance: 58,137.
Warriors: Jai Field, Abbas Miski, Toby King, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Tyler Dupree, Brad O’Neill, Kaide Ellis, Liam Farrell (captain), Kai Pearce-Paul, Morgan Smithies. Subs: Sam Powell, Willie Isa, Ethan Havard, Patrick Mago.
Try: Marshall
Goals: Smith 3
Man of the Match: Jake Wardle won the Harry Sunderland Trophy.
PENRITH PANTHERS qualified for this year’s World Club Challenge by beating Brisbane Broncos 26-24 in the NRL Premiership Grand Final at Accor Stadium, Sydney, on 1 October 2023. Attendance: 81,947.
Panthers: Dylan Edwards, Sunia Turuva, Izack Tago, Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary (captain), Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny, James Fisher-Harris, Scott Sorensen, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo. Subs: Jack Cogger, Lindsay Smith, Spencer Leniu, Luke Garner.
Tries: Kenny, Leota, Crichton, Cleary
Goals: Cleary 4, Crichton
Man of the Match: Nathan Cleary won the Clive Churchill Medal.
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE HISTORY
The first World Club Championship/Challenge match was on Tuesday, 29 June 1976 when Eastern Suburbs (now Sydney Roosters) defeated St Helens 25-2 at the Sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 26,856. The Saints had won the Premiership in 1975-76, while Easts were the 1975 Australian Premiership Grand Final winners.
The one-off match was given little official status and there were no further meetings between the countries’ top teams until Wigan faced and defeated Manly 8-2 at Central Park on 7 October 1987 in the re-styled World Club Challenge. Wigan qualified as the 1986-87 Division One champions and Manly as Australia’s Minor Premiership (league leaders) winners, although they did win the Grand Final just 10 days before meeting Wigan.
The World Club Challenge was given full International Board recognition in 1989 and was played at irregular intervals up to 1994 between the British champions and Australia’s Grand Final winners.
In 1997 there was a Super League World Club Championship involving 22 clubs. There was a gap of a few years before the World Club Challenge was restored in 2000 with a match between Britain and Australia’s Grand Final winners.
British clubs have won 14 of the 27 World Club Challenge matches since 1987.
World Club Challenge 1987-2023
7/10/87 Wigan 8 Manly 2 (Central Park, Wigan) Attendance: 36,895
10/10/89 Widnes 30 Canberra 18 (Old Trafford, Manchester) Attendance: 30,786
2/10/91 Wigan 21 Penrith 4 (Anfield, Liverpool) Attendance: 20,152
30/10/92 Brisbane 22 Wigan 8 (Central Park, Wigan) Attendance: 17,746
1/6/94 Wigan 20 Brisbane 14 (ANZ Stadium, Brisbane) Attendance: 54,220
22/1/00 Melbourne 44 St Helens 6 (JJB Stadium, Wigan) Attendance: 13,394
26/1/01 St Helens 20 Brisbane 18 (Reebok Stadium, Bolton) Attendance: 16,041
1/2/02 Bradford 41 Newcastle 26 (McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield) Attendance: 21,113
14/2/03 Sydney Roosters 38 St Helens 0 (Reebok Stadium, Bolton) Attendance: 19,807
13/2/04 Bradford 22 Penrith 4 (McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield) Attendance: 18,962
4/2/05 Leeds 39 Bulldogs 32 (Elland Road, Leeds) Attendance: 37,028
3/2/06 Bradford 30 Wests Tigers 10 (Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield) Attendance: 19,207
23/2/07 St Helens 18 Brisbane 14 (Reebok Stadium, Bolton) Attendance: 23,207
29/2/08 Leeds 11 Melbourne 4 (Elland Road, Leeds) Attendance: 33,204
1/3/09 Manly 28 Leeds 20 (Elland Road, Leeds) Attendance: 32,569
28/2/10 Melbourne 18 Leeds 10 (Elland Road, Leeds) Attendance: 27,697
27/2/11 St George Illawarra 21 Wigan 15 (DW Stadium, Wigan) Attendance: 24,268
17/2/12 Leeds 26 Manly 12 (Headingley Carnegie, Leeds) Attendance: 21,062
22/2/13 Melbourne 18 Leeds 14 (Headingley Carnegie, Leeds) Attendance: 20,400
22/2/14 Sydney Roosters 36 Wigan 14 (Allianz Stadium, Sydney) Attendance: 31,515
22/2/15 South Sydney 39 St Helens 0 (Langtree Park, St Helens) Attendance: 17,980
21/2/16 North Queensland 38 Leeds 4 (Headingley Carnegie, Leeds) Attendance: 19,778
19/2/17 Wigan 22 Cronulla 6 (DW Stadium, Wigan) Attendance: 21,011
16/2/18 Melbourne 38 Leeds 4 (AAMI Park, Melbourne) Attendance: 19,062
17/2/19 Sydney Roosters 20 Wigan 8 (DW Stadium, Wigan) Attendance: 21,331
22/2/20 Sydney Roosters 20 St Helens 12 (Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens) Attendance: 16,108
18/2/23 St Helens 13 Penrith 12 (aet) (BlueBet Stadium, Penrith) Attendance: 13,873
Brisbane Broncos beat Hunter Mariners 36-12 at Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, in the 1997 Super League World Club Championship final following a competition involving 22 clubs. The attendance was 12,000.
RECORDS
Most tries
3 by Brett Morris (Sydney Roosters, v Wigan Warriors, 2019)
3 by Joe Burgess (Wigan Warriors, v Cronulla Sharks, 2017)
3 by Michael Jennings (Sydney Roosters, v Wigan Warriors, 2014)
Darren Smith also scored a hat-trick of tries for Brisbane Broncos when they beat Hunter Mariners in the final of the 22-club World Club Championship in 1997.
Most goals
9 by Craig Fitzgibbon (Sydney Roosters, v St Helens, 2003)
9 (including 1 field goal) by Paul Deacon (Bradford Bulls, v Newcastle Knights, 2002)
Most points
22 (1 try, 9 goals) by Craig Fitzgibbon (Sydney Roosters, v St Helens, 2003)
Most appearances
7 by Rob Burrow, Jamie Jones-Buchanan & Jamie Peacock
Rob Burrow
(2016, Leeds Rhinos v North Queensland Cowboys, Lost)
(2013, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2012, Leeds Rhinos v Manly Sea Eagles, Won)
(2010, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2009, Leeds Rhinos v Manly Sea Eagles, Lost)
(2008, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Won)
(2005, Leeds Rhinos v Bulldogs, Won)
Jamie Jones-Buchanan
(2018, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2013, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2012, Leeds Rhinos v Manly Sea Eagles, Won)
(2010, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2009, Leeds Rhinos v Manly Sea Eagles, Lost)
(2008, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Won)
(2005, Leeds Rhinos v Bulldogs, Won)
Jamie Peacock
(2013, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2012, Leeds Rhinos v Manly Sea Eagles, Won)
(2010, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Lost)
(2009, Leeds Rhinos v Manly Sea Eagles, Lost)
(2008, Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm, Won)
(2004, Bradford Bulls v Penrith Panthers, Won)
(2002, Bradford Bulls v Newcastle Knights, Won)
Most wins
4 by Jamie Peacock (2012, 2008, 2004, 2002)
Dismissals
The first player to be sent off in a World Club Challenge match was Ron Gibbs of Manly for use of the elbow on Wigan’s Joe Lydon in 1987.
Mitch Garbutt became the second player to be dismissed in a World Club Challenge match, when he was sent off for fighting in the 73rd minute of Leeds’ 38-4 defeat to North Queensland in 2016.
