Super League

The Super League is the only fully professionalized League for Rugby League in the Northern Hemisphere. It is organized by the British Association Rugby Football League ( RFL) and includes 14 teams. Twelve from England, one from Wales and one from France. The first time in 1996 discharged Super League replaced the top division of the existing since 1895 Rugby League Championship.

Championship mode

At the Super League 14 teams are involved. The lasting from February to September season includes a first round and second round, interrupted by the Magic Weekend (formerly Millennium Magic ) in Cardiff with one play. After the comprehensive total of 27 rounds regular season play-off, in which the two participants of the Super League Grand Final will be determined, to the all-important game follows for the title. This will in each case be held at Old Trafford in Manchester. The best eight teams qualify for the play-off, where the complex tournament system the better binned teams preferred. The system works as follows:

Week 1

  • Qualification Playoff 1: First to Fourth ( the winner gets a bye in the second week )
  • Qualification Playoff 2: Second to third parties ( the winner gets a bye in the second week )
  • Elimination Playoff 1: Fifth to Eighth ( loser is out )
  • Elimination Playoff 2: Sixth to Seventh ( loser is out )

Week 2

  • Elimination Semi-final 1: Losers Qualifying Playoff 1 vs. Winner Elimination Playoff 2
  • Elimination Semi-final 2: Loser Qualifying Playoff 2 vs. Winner Elimination Playoff 1

Week 3

  • Qualifying Semi-final 1: Winner Qualification Playoff 1 vs. Winner Semifinal Elimination 1
  • Qualifying Semi-final 2: Winner 2 vs. Winner Qualification Playoff Elimination Semi-final 2

Week 4

  • Grand Final: Winner 1 vs. Winner Semifinal qualification qualifying semi-final 2

The Master of European Super League plays against the champion of the Australian National Rugby League in the World Club Challenge to the World Cup.

Teams in 2010

History

In 1996, the News Corporation Rupert Murdoch, the Australian Super League, to prevail in the battle for TV rights to the Australian Rugby League. Both leagues merged in the following year to the National Rugby League.

Murdoch also turned to British and French teams with the proposal to form Super League Europe (SLE). A large sum of money influenced the decision-making and the first season began in 1996. As part of the agreements, the season of winter was moved into the summer months.

First, various mergers of existing clubs were provided:

  • The Castleford Tigers, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and the Featherstone Rovers in the region of the Calder
  • Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers in the region of Humberside
  • Whitehaven RLFC, Workington Town, Barrow Raiders RLFC and Carlisle in Cumbria
  • Warrington Wolves Widnes Vikings and the Cheshire
  • Salford City Reds and the Oldham Roughyeds in the Greater Manchester area
  • The Sheffield Eagles and Doncaster Lakers in South Yorkshire

Additionally, the following non-fused teams from the league should belong to: St Helens RLFC, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos, Bradford Bulls RLFC Halifax, London Broncos, Paris Saint- Germain and Toulouse Olympique.

These plans met with but a lot of resistance, so that eventually only existing clubs were included in the new competition. From the top league in England only the ten best teams were admitted (without Wakefield and Widnes ). The London Broncos (now known as Harlequins Rugby League), the fourth- placed teams from the second division were taken for economic reasons. Moreover formed with Paris Saint- Germain a new French team.

After two years, the team of Paris Saint- Germain broke up again, and the Super League consisted only of English teams. Promotion and relegation between Super League and the National League One were reintroduced and since 2002, the Super League is again fully integrated into the English league system, so that it really is only a renamed top league in the end. Since 2006, a French team is involved with the Catalans Dragons in Perpignan again, which enjoys protection from possible relegation for three years.

In the 2009 season through the Celtic Crusaders from Wales and the Salford City Reds received a license, which gives the Super League now has 14 teams. After 2009, there will be no automatic relegation from the Super League more, the clubs will be allowed on the basis of a franchise. A three -yearly review of the franchise is to ensure that unterklassige clubs continue to have the opportunity to ascend.

Results of the previous finals

In brackets: table position after the end of the regular season In the table in 1996 and 1997 won the first-placed team the championship, in the following Playoffs a separate title ( Premiership ) was awarded. In both years, Wigan won the final against St Helens.

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