1976 World Club Challenge

The 1976 World Club Challenge was an unofficial trial of what would later become the World Club Challenge concept, with the 1975 NSWRFL season's premiers, Eastern Suburbs hosting the 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season's Premiership and Challenge Cup winners St. Helens. The one-off challenge match was played on 29 June, right in the middle of the 1976 NSWRFL season, at the Sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 26,856.[1]

1976 (1976) Unofficial World Club Challenge  ()
1 Total
EAS 0 25
ST H 0 2
Date29 June 1976
StadiumSydney Cricket Ground
LocationMoore Park, Australia
Royce Ayliffe
RefereesGary Cook
Attendance26,856
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators

The next game of its kind would not be played until 1987.

Background

The game was the first of its type, and was the last to be played in Australia until 1994.

Eastern Suburbs Roosters

The Roosters, coached by Jack Gibson and captained by Australian international forward Arthur Beetson, were the reigning Sydney premiers having won the NSWRFL Grand Finals in both 1974 and 1975.

St Helens

Like the Roosters, Saints were the two time reigning English champions, having won the titles in 1974-75 and 1975-76. Saints were coached by former Great Britain captain Eric Ashton and captained by Welsh dual rugby international Kel Coslett.

Teams

Eastern Suburbs
St Helens
FB1Russell Fairfax
LW2Ian Schubert
CE3Mark Harris
CE4John Brass
RW5Bill Mullins
FE6Trevor Barnes
HB7Kevin Stevens
LK8Barry Reilly
SR9Arthur Beetson (c)
SR10Ian Mackay
PR11Royce Ayliffe
HK12Elwyn Walters
PR13Kel Jones
Substitutions:
IC14Robert Laurie
IC15Johnny Mayes
IC16Grant Hedger
IC17Greg Townsend
Coach:
Jack Gibson
FB1Geoff Pimblett
RW2Les Jones
CE3Eddie Cunningham
CE4Derek Noonan
LW5Roy Mathias
SO6Billy Benyon
SH7Kenneth Gwilliam
PR8John Mantle
HK9Tony Karalius
PR10Kel Coslett (c)
SR11Eric Chisnall
SR12George Nicholls
LF13David Hull
Substitutions:
IC14Peter Glynn
IC15Frank Wilson
IC16Jeff Heaton
IC17Mel James
Coach:
Eric Ashton

Match details

29 June 1976
Eastern Suburbs Roosters 25 2 St. Helens
Tries:
Russell Fairfax
Kevin Stevens
Royce Ayliffe
Ian Schubert
Greg Townsend
Goals:
John Brass (5)
Tries:





Goals:
Pimblett (1)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 26,856
Referee: Gary Cook
Man of the Match: Royce Ayliffe

Aftermath

After winning the 1974 and 1975 Sydney premierships, Eastern Suburbs would not win another until 2002, while St Helens would go on to win a third English premiership in succession in 1976–77.

The next time Easts, now known as the Sydney Roosters, would play in a World Club Challenge was in 2003 where they would again face St Helens, the 2002 Super League champions at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England. The result would be no different though as the Roosters defeated the Saints 38-0 in front of 19,807 fans.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the challenge, St Helens and the Sydney Roosters played a match as part of the 2016 World Club Series.[2]

See also

References

  1. HighBeam
  2. Clubs confirmed for 2016 World Club Series, superleague.co.uk, 8 October 2015
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