1996 Super League season

Last updated
Super League I
League Super League
Duration22 Rounds
Teams12
Highest attendance20,429
Wigan vs St. Helens (21 June)
Lowest attendance1,400
Workington Town vs London Broncos (23 June)
Attendance867,372
(average 6,571)
Broadcast partners Sky Sports
1996 Season
Champions St. Helens
1st Super League title
8th British title
Premiership winners Wigan
Man of Steel Flag of England.svg Andrew Farrell
Top point-scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Bobbie Goulding (257)
Top try-scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Paul Newlove (28)
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Division One Salford Reds
Relegated to Division One Workington Town

The year 1996's Stones Bitter Super League I was the official name for the 102nd season of top-level rugby league football, and the first year of Europe's new championship: Super League. It is also the first season of rugby league to be played in summer. [1] The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995-96 RFL First Division plus one expansion club, Paris Saint-Germain.

Contents

Teams

Twelve teams were selected to play in the inaugural Super League season.

Legend
 Reigning Champions
 Challenge Cup Holders
 Promoted/ New franchise
Team1995-96 positionStadiumCapacityCity/Area
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 7th Odsal 27,000Bradford, West Yorkshire
Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 6th Wheldon Road 11,750Castleford, West Yorkshire
Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox 3rd Thrum Hall 9,832Halifax, West Yorkshire
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds 2nd Headingley 21,500Leeds, West Yorkshire
Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 10th The Valley 27,000Charlton, Greater London
Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Bears 8th Watersheddings 9,000Oldham, Greater Manchester
France colours.svg Paris Saint-Germain N/A Sébastien Charléty Stadium 20,000Paris, France
Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 5th Don Valley Stadium 25,000Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 4th Knowsley Road 17,500St Helens, Mersyside
Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 9th Wilderspool 9,200Warrington, Cheshire
D* Wigancolours.svg Wigan 1st Central Park 18,000Wigan, Greater Manchester
Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Town 11th Derwent Park 10,000Workington, Cumbria

Operational rules

Player numbering:

Rules to ensure the sustainability of Super League clubs were introduced:

To protect global Super League interests:

Rule changes

Four new rules were introduced for the inaugural Super League season:

In an attempt to "clean up" the ruck:

Season summary

On 29 March 1996, Super League kicked off in Paris before 17,873 people at the Charlety Stadium when new team Paris Saint Germain overcame Sheffield Eagles 30-24. [5] Jacques Fouroux, the PSG president, described that night, "Ninety eight per cent of them [the crowd] were new to the game, but they understood it right away. They saw tries, lots of commitment and lots of movement. They saw beauty. They attended a great party." [5]

The reigning champions Wigan were hoping to maintain their hold on the championship in the newly formed Super League. However, at the end of the season St. Helens were crowned inaugural Super League champions after a win over Warrington Wolves at Knowsley Road, finishing in first position on the league ladder. [6] During the year a secondary title, known as the Premiership was also played, with the final being contested between Wigan and the championship winners St. Helens with Wigan coming out victorious and Andy Farrell winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy.

Workington Town finished bottom for the second successive season and thus relegated to the first division. To date this is their only Super League season and no other club from Cumbria has competed since, Salford Reds were promoted to take their place in Super League II.

Table

Super League I
PosTeam
PldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification or relegation
1 Saintscolours.svg St Helens (C)222002950455+49540Champions and qualified for Premiership semi final
2 Wigancolours.svg Wigan 221912902326+57639Qualified for Premiership semi final
3 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 221705767409+35834
4 Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 221219611462+14925
5 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 2212010569565+424
6 Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox 2210111667576+9121
7 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 2210012599730−13120
8 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Bears 229112473681−20819
9 Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 229013548599−5118
10 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds 226016555745−19012
11 France colours.svg Paris Saint-Germain 223118398795−3977
12 Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Town (R)2221193251021−6965Relegated to Division One
Source: Rugby League Project
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Premiership

The top four finishing teams competed in a short play-off series for the Premiership Trophy. This competition was separate to the Super League Championship awarded to St. Helens, and continued a long tradition in British rugby league of crowning a season champion and an end of season Premier. The final was played between the Wigan and St. Helens on Sunday, 8 September at Old Trafford before a crowd of 35,013. [7] Wigan won the match 44-14 and their loose forward Andy Farrell received the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.

Semifinals Final
      
1 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 25
4 Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 14
Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 14
Wigancolours.svg Wigan 44
2 Wigancolours.svg Wigan 42
3 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 36

Statistics

The following are the top points scorers in the Super League during the 1996 season. Statistics are for league matches only. [8]

Most points

PlayerTeamTriesGoalsDGsPoints
Bobbie Goulding St. Helens 51173257
John Schuster Halifax Blue Sox 81012236
Andy Farrell Wigan 51030226
Graham Holroyd Leeds 11762198
Frano Botica Castleford Tigers 5842190
Mark Aston Sheffield Eagles 2861181
Greg Barwick London Broncos 16502166
Steve McNamara Bradford Bulls 1782162
Iestyn Harris Warrington 4632144
Francis Maloney Oldham Bears 6450114

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Dave Hadfield (1995-12-20). "Rugby's pounds 87m deal gives Murdoch transfer veto" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  2. ↑ Dave Hadfield (1996-02-09). "Super League adopts squad numbering" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  3. 1 2 3 Dave Hadfield (1996-01-23). "Lindsay defends the Super League revolution" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dave Hadfield (1995-12-13). "Changes usher in new ball game" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  5. 1 2 "LE BLOG Day 2, Back to Charlety and Paris Saint Germain". Chris Irvine, Times Online. 12 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
  6. ↑ "Super League Champions Roll of Honour". Super League Official website. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
  7. ↑ "Premiership Trophy 1996". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David (27 March 1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. London: Headline. pp. 184–5. ISBN   978-0-7472-7764-4.
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