Common sense has prevailed and NRL champions Melbourne Storm will take on Super League’s top team Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge next year.
Doubts had been raised about the event’s future, with the Storm refusing to travel to the UK for the match and seemingly reluctant to be involved at all. But a deal has been struck and Leeds will head down under in 2018, with the game scheduled for Victoria’s AAMI Park on February 16. It will be only the third time the World Club Challenge has been played in Australia; with Brisbane and Sydney the other cities to have hosted the event.
The Storm and Rhinos have already met three times in the World Club Challenge in the pasy decade, with Leeds victorious in 2008 but Melbourne winning both the 2010 and 2013 encounters. Leeds knocked off Castleford in this year's Super League decider at Old Trafford while Melbourne beat North Queensland in the NRL grand final at ANZ Stadium.
In 2017 Wigan upset Cronulla at the DW Stadium to the memorably win the World Club Challenge and Warrington defeated Brisbane in the World Club Series at the Halliwell Jones Stadium preceeding it. It was a clean-sweep for the UK this year and Leeds will be out to keep the run growing. NRL teams have dominated the event previously, with a 3-0 series of whitewash results in both 2015 and 2016 leaving some to question the validity of the inter-competition concept.
But strong support on and off the pitch in England has helped ensure this annual contest between the best club in the southern hemisphere and the best club in the northern hemisphere takes place next year.
The Storm have confirmed they will field their strongest line-up in the game, including legends Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.
“There’s no better venue or city to host a game that decides the world’s best rugby league team than AAMI Park and Melbourne – Australia’s sporting capital,” Melbourne Storm CEO Dave Donaghy said.
“It will be fantastic to see Rugby League take centre stage again at AAMI Park, having hosted record Storm crowds and the Rugby League World Cup in 2017. I know our Storm members and fans as well as the sports enthusiast will come out to support their Premiership winning team and to see some of the world’s best players take the field. Our football department is looking forward to the challenge of being back playing for the World Club Challenge trophy and testing themselves again the current Super League Champions.”
Be at @AAMIPark when we do it all again - #WCC #purplepride
Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington has described the current Melbourne Storm squad as the “best club team he has seen”.
“Leeds Rhinos and Melbourne Storm have been rugby league’s two most successful teams over the past 20 years and it's fitting for us to come together for the fourth time in the World Club Challenge,” he said.
“Each of the other three games in Leeds have been terrific contests and coming to Melbourne represents our biggest ever challenge. A victory would be the pinnacle in our Club’s 128 year history. We hope all the English living in Melbourne come along to support the Rhinos and our fans who visit the City will have a memorable experience.”
The confirmation is good news for loves of international rugby league who are keen to seen the sport thrive.
