League Leaders' Shield

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League Leaders' Shield
Bibby.jpg
Wigan player Jake Bibby holding the League Leaders' Shield and wearing the associated medal, 2020
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Flag of France.svg  France
Presented by Super League
History
First award2002 [1]
Most wins Saintscolours.svg St. Helens
(9 titles)
Most recent 2024
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors
(5th title)

The League Leaders' Shield [2] is a trophy awarded to the team finishing the season top of Super League in the sport of rugby league football. This regular portion of the season precedes the playoffs for the eventual Super League Grand Final. The trophy was first awarded in Super League VII in 2002. [1]

Contents

St Helens won the first shield in 2002, and have since won the shield on a total of 9 occasions.

Wigan Warriors become only the 2nd team (along with St Helens), to retain the shield.

History

From 1907 until 1973 the Championship was awarded to the team winning a top-four play-off (excluding the 2 seasons 1962–63 and 1963–64, when the championship was awarded to the top-placed team). From 1907 to 1962 no prize was awarded to the team finishing top. From 1965 to 1973 a 'League Leaders' Trophy' was introduced to reward the team finishing top. In 1996, Super League was formed but continued to use the league to decide the champions until 1998, when they adopted a play-off structure for the championship. Between 1998 and 2001 no trophy was awarded for coming top of the league in the regular season, and it would not be until the 2002 season when the League Leaders' Shield was first awarded.

From 2015 to 2017, League Leaders' Shield winners would participate in the short lived World Club Series. 2015 also saw the prize money increase from £50,000 to £100,000.

In 2016, the League Leaders were awarded medals for the first time.

Shield winners

YearLeague leadersPtsRunners upPts
2002 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens(C)46 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 46
2003 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls(C)44 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 41
2004 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos(C)50 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 41
2005 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 47 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 44
2006 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens(C)48 Hullcolours.svg Hull F.C. 40
2007 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 38 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 37
2008 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 43 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 42
2009 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos(C)42 Saintscolours.svg St Helens 38
2010 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors(C)44 Saintscolours.svg St Helens 40
2011 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 44 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 43
2012 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 42 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 41
2013 Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants 42 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 41
2014 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens(C)38 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 37
2015 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos(C)41 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 41
2016 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 43 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 42
2017 Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 50 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 40
2018 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 42 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 32
2019 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens(C)52 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 36
2020 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 76.47a Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 70.59a
2021 Catalanscolours.svg Catalans Dragons 82.61a Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 76.19a
2022 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens(C)42 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 38
2023 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors(C)40 Catalanscolours.svg Catalans Dragons 40
2024 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors(C)44 HKRcolours.svg Hull KR 42

(C) - Team also won the Grand Final to be crowned champions.

Winners

ClubWinsWinning years
Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 9 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 5 2010, 2012, 2020, 2023, 2024
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 3 2004, 2009, 2015
Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 2 2011, 2016
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 1 2003
Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants 1 2013
Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 1 2017
Catalanscolours.svg Catalans Dragons 1 2021

The Treble

ClubWinsWinning years
1
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors
41991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2024
2
Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants
21912–13, 1914–15
2
Saintscolours.svg St. Helens
21965–66, 2006
4
Swintoncolours.svg Swinton Lions
11927–28
4
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls
12003
4
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
12015

The Quadruple

ClubWinsWinning years
1
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors
2 [3] [a] 1993–94, 2024 [b]
2
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls
12003
2
Saintscolours.svg St. Helens
12006

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Wigan have a widly misreported quadruple in 1994–95 [4] [5] with the club winning the treble in addition to the 1994–95 Regal Trophy. Note: No World Club Challenge was held in 1995 as it didn't become a regular competition until 2000.
  2. ↑ This is the first widly reported quadruple to include the calendar year's World Club Challenge and not the following season's. [6] Note: The 2025 World Club Challenge was abandoned by Penrith Panthers, although no title was awarded for 2025, Wigan, without challenge, would retain their title for a second year. [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Saints secure 2022 League Leaders Shield". Betfred Super League. August 29, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  2. ↑ Wilson, Andy (July 16, 2009). "Battle for Super League play-offs can pull in the fans". The Guardian . Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  3. ↑ https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/story-telling/12215/13232746/how-matt-peets-wigan-completed-rugby-league-in-just-three-super-league-seasons
  4. ↑ https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby-league/wigan-warriors-win-grand-final-to-complete-historic-quadruple-with-5-of-the-best-takeaways-from-old-trafford-4821650
  5. ↑ https://www.wigantoday.net/heritage-and-retro/retro/retro-sport-the-all-conquering-wigan-warriors-in-1995-4243122
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2024/oct/09/penrith-panthers-nrl-abandon-world-club-challenge-isaah-yeo
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