Super League Grand Final

Championship-deciding game of rugby league's Super League competition

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Super League Grand Final

Super League Trophy

Location|  Trafford, Manchester
Teams| 2
First meeting| 1998
Latest meeting| 2023
Next meeting| 2024
Broadcasters| Sky Sports
BBC
Stadiums| Old Trafford
Statistics
Meetings total| 24
Most wins|  St Helens (9)
Most player appearances|  Jamie Peacock
James Roby (11)

The Super League Grand Final is the championship-deciding game of rugby league's Super League competition.[1] It is played between two teams who have qualified via the Super League Play-Off series.[2] The winning team receives the Super League Trophy and goes on to play the NRL champions in the World Club Challenge. The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to the man of the match. The match is normally played at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester.

Only four clubs have won the Super League, as of 2023 - St Helens (9), Leeds Rhinos (8), Wigan Warriors (6), and Bradford Bulls (3).

(St Helens and Bradford Bulls each won one of their Super League titles before the Play Off and Grand Final system was introduced in 1998).

Wigan Warriors are the current champions, after winning the 2023 Super League Grand Final, defeating Catalans Dragons 10–2, who also become the first ever team to have 2 or more players sin binned in the grand final.

## Background[edit]

See also: Rugby Football League Championship

Use of a play-off system to decide the Championship brought back a rugby league tradition that had fallen out of use in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The Premiership replaced the Championship final but it was to decide the Premiership winners, not the Championship winners. The Premiership was discontinued after the introduction of the Super League play-off series in 1998, ending with the Super League Grand Final. The inaugural Grand Final match was played that year on Saturday 24 October, between Wigan and Leeds.

## Venue[edit]

Leeds celebrating their 2008 Grand Final victory at Old Trafford

Main article: Old Trafford

The Grand Final has been held at Old Trafford in Manchester every year since 1998, except in 2020, when it was held at the KCOM Stadium in Hull due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

City  | Stadium  | Years

|
|

Manchester | Old Trafford | 1998–2019, 2021–
Hull | KCOM Stadium | 2020

## Trophy[edit]

The winners of the Super League collect the Grand Final rings and the team's name, captain and year are engraved into the trophy. The winners also collect £100,000 with the runner up collecting £50,000.

Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield currently holds the record for captaining the most Super League title winning sides after leading Leeds to seven of their Grand Final successes. St Helens contested the final six years in a row (from 2006 until 2011) during which time they succeeded only once in lifting the trophy, against Hull F.C. in 2006, after which they suffered consecutive defeats against Leeds in 2007, 2008, 2009, Wigan in 2010 and Leeds once again in 2011.

## Awards[edit]

Main article: Harry Sunderland Trophy

The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in the Super League Grand Final by the Rugby League Writers' Association. Named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom, the Trophy was first awarded in the Rugby Football League Championship Final of the 1964–65 season following Sunderland's death.

## Finals[edit]

See also: League Leaders' Shield

The Super League Grand Final has been the championship-deciding game since Super League III in 1998:[3] This final is held at Old Trafford.

Year  | Winners  | Score  | Runner-up  | Attendance

|
|
|
|

1998 |  Wigan | 10-4  |  Leeds | 43,533
1999 |  St Helens | 8-6  |  Bradford |  50,717
2000 |  St Helens | 29-16  |  Wigan |  58,132
2001 |  Bradford | 37-6  |  Wigan |  60,164
2002 |  St Helens | 19-18  |  Bradford |  61,138
2003 |  Bradford | 25-12  |  Wigan |  65,537
2004 |  Leeds | 16-8  |  Bradford |  65,547
2005 |  Bradford | 15-6  |  Leeds |  65,728
2006 |  St Helens | 26-4  |  Hull |  72,575
2007 |  Leeds | 33-6  |  St Helens |  71,352
2008 |  Leeds | 24-16  |  St Helens |  68,810
2009 |  Leeds | 18-10  |  St Helens |  63,259
2010 |  Wigan | 22-10  |  St Helens |  71,526
2011 |  Leeds | 32-16  |  St Helens |  69,107
2012 |  Leeds | 26-18  |  Warrington |  70,676
2013 |  Wigan | 30-16  |  Warrington |  66,281
2014 |  St Helens | 14-6  |  Wigan |  70,102
2015 |  Leeds | 22-20  |  Wigan |  73,512
2016 |  Wigan | 12-6  |  Warrington |  70,202
2017 |  Leeds | 24-6  |  Castleford |  72,827
2018 |  Wigan | 12-4  |  Warrington |  64,892
2019 |  St Helens | 23-6  |  Salford |  64,102
2020 |  St Helens | 8-4  |  Wigan | N/A
2021 |  St Helens | 12-10  |  Catalans |  45,177
2022 |  St Helens | 24-12  |  Leeds |  60,783
2023 |  Wigan | 10-2  |  Catalans |  58,137

### Results[edit]

Grand Final winners and runners up  Club  | Winners  | Runners-up  | Years won  | Years runner-up

|
|
|
|

St Helens | 9  | 5  | 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Leeds Rhinos | 8  | 3  | 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 | 1998, 2005, 2022
Wigan Warriors | 6  | 6  | 1998, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023 | 2000, 2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2020
Bradford Bulls | 3  | 3  | 2001, 2003, 2005 | 1999, 2002, 2004
Warrington Wolves | 0  | 4  |  | 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018
Catalans Dragons | 0  | 2  |  | 2021, 2023
Hull F.C. | 0  | 1  |  | 2006
Castleford Tigers | 0  | 1  |  | 2017
Salford Red Devils | 0  | 1  |  | 2019

### The Double[edit]

Main article: The Double (rugby league)

In rugby league, the term 'the Double' is referring to the achievement of a club that wins the top division and Challenge Cup in the same season. To date, this has been achieved by ten clubs, four of them during the Super League era.

| Club  | Wins  | Winning years

|
|
|

1 |  Wigan | 7 | 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93,
1993–94, 1994–95, 2013
2 |  St Helens | 4 | 1965–66, 1996, 2006, 2021
3 |  Huddersfield | 2 | 1912–13, 1914–15
4 |  Broughton Rangers | 1 | 1901–02
5 |  Halifax | 1 | 1902–03
6 |  Hunslet | 1 | 1907–08
7 |  Swinton | 1 | 1927–28
8 |  Warrington | 1 | 1953–54
9 |  Bradford | 1 | 2003
10 |  Leeds | 1 | 2015

### The Treble[edit]

Main article: The Treble (rugby league)

The Treble refers to the team who wins all three domestic honours on offer during the season; Grand Final, League Leaders' Shield and Challenge Cup. To date seven teams have won the treble, only Bradford Bulls, St Helens and Leeds Rhinos have won the treble in the Super League era.

| Club  | Wins  | Winning years

|
|
|

1 |  Wigan | 3 | 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95
2 |  Huddersfield | 2 | 1912–13, 1914–15
3 |  St Helens | 2 | 1965–66, 2006
4 |  Hunslet | 1 | 1907–08
5 |  Swinton | 1 | 1927–28
6 |  Bradford | 1 | 2003
7 |  Leeds | 1 | 2015

### The Quadruple[edit]

Main article: The Treble (rugby league) § Further Achievement

The Quadruple refers to winning the Super League, League Leaders' Shield, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge in one season.

| Club  | Wins  | Winning years

|
|
|

1 |  Wigan | 1 | 1994–95
2 |  Bradford | 1 | 2003–04
3 |  St Helens | 1 | 2006–07

## Headliners[edit]

Year  | Act

|

1998–2003 | none
2004 | Heather Small
2005 | Madness
2006 | Deacon Blue
2007 | The Kaiser Chiefs
2008 | Scouting for Girls
2009 | The Wombats
2010 | Diana Vickers
2011 | Feeder*
2012–2013 | none
2014 | James
2015 | The Charlatans
2016 | Feeder
2017 | Razorlight
2018  | Blossoms
2019  | Shed Seven
2020–2022 | none
2023  | Reverend and the Makers

* 2011- Feeder were cancelled due to Manchester United not wanting a stage to be erected on the wet pitch

## Records[edit]

### Match records[edit]

* Largest margin of victory:

31 points -  Bradford 37-6  Wigan (2001)

* Smallest margin of victory:

1 point -  St Helens 19-18  Bradford (2002)

* Highest scoring:

48 points -  Leeds 32-16  St Helens (2011)

* Lowest scoring:

12 points -  St Helens 8-4  Wigan (2020),  Wigan 10-2  Catalans (2023)

* Highest attendance:

73,512  Leeds v Wigan (at Old Trafford, 2015)

### Club records[edit]

* Most Grand Final victories:

9 -  St. Helens (Super League Grand Final 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

* Most consecutive Grand Final victories:

4 -  St. Helens (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

* Most Grand Final appearances:

14 -  St Helens (1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

* Most Grand Final defeats:

6 -  Wigan (2000, 2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2020)

* Most Grand Final defeats (without victory):

4 -  Warrington Wolves (2012, 2013, 2016, 2018)

### Player records[edit]

* Most Grand Final appearances:

* 11:

Jamie Peacock (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015)

James Roby  (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

* Most Grand Final victories:

* 9:

Jamie Peacock (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015)

* Most Grand Final appearances as captain:

* 8:

Kevin Sinfield (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015)

* Youngest finalist:

* Leon Pryce (18 years)

* Youngest winner:

* Jack Walker (18 years, 60 days)

* Oldest finalist:

* Sean O'Loughlin (38 years, 3 days)

* Oldest winner:

* Jamie Peacock (37 years, 300 days)

## See also[edit]

* Sports portal

* Championship Grand Final
* Million Pound Game
* Super League
* Super League play-offs
* Old Trafford
* Super League Trophy
* Harry Sunderland Trophy
* NRL Grand Final

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Grand Final - Super League". superleague.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
2. ^ "The Play-Off Series - Super League". superleague.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
3. ^ "Winners - Super League". superleague.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2022.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Super League Grand Final.

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Super League

Current teams|

* Castleford Tigers
* Catalans Dragons
* Huddersfield Giants
* Hull F.C.
* Hull Kingston Rovers
* Leeds Rhinos
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* Warrington Wolves
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Former teams|

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Seasons|

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Season results|

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* XIV
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* XIX
* XX
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* XXV
* XXVI
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Grand Finals|

* I
* II
* III
* IV
* V
* VI
* VII
* VIII
* IX
* X
* XI
* XII
* XIII
* XIV
* XV
* XVI
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* XIX
* XX
* XXI
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* XXIII
* XXIV
* XXV
* XXVI
* XXVII
* XXVIII

Major events|

* World Club Series (World Club Challenge)
* Magic Weekend
* Super 8s
* Play-offs
* Grand Final
* International Origin

Awards|

* Albert Goldthorpe Medal
* League Leaders' Shield
* Man of Steel Awards
* Harry Sunderland Trophy
* Super League Dream Team
* Fair Play Index
* Woman of Steel

Related articles|

* Rugby Football League Championship
* Super League Records
* Super League war
* Super League Show
* Licensing
* 2009–11
* 2012–14
* Quota players
* Players with 100+ tries
* List of venues
* Women's Super League

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