1996 Super League season

Rugby league competition October 2024 Super League I Super League 100px 22 Rounds 12 20,429 Wigan vs St Helens (21 June) 1,400 Workington Town vs London Broncos (23 June) 867,372 (average 6,571) Sky Sports 1996 Season St Helens1st Super League title8th British title Champions Wigan Wigan Premiership winners ENG Andy Farrell Man of Steel AwardsMan of Steel ENG Bobbie Goulding (257) ENG Paul Newlove (28) Salford Reds Division One Workington Town Division One 1995–96 Rugby Football League season 1995-96 RFL First Division Super League II 1997 The Stones Bitter Super League I was the official name for 1996's 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. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/rugbys-pounds-87m-deal-gives-murdoch-transfer-veto-1526582.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/rugbys-pounds-87m-deal-gives-murdoch-transfer-veto-1526582.html 2022-05-25 subscription live The Independent Rugby's pounds 87m deal gives Murdoch transfer veto Dave Hadfield 1995-12-20 2009-05-06 The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995-96 RFL First Division plus one expansion club, Paris Saint-Germain. 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/Areabradford 16 Bradford Bulls7thOdsal27,000Bradford, West Yorkshirecastleford 16 Castleford Tigers6thWheldon Road11,750Castleford, West Yorkshirehalifax 16 Halifax Blue Sox3rdThrum Hall9,832Halifax, West Yorkshireleeds 16 Leeds2ndHeadingley21,500Leeds, West Yorkshirelondon 16 London Broncos10thThe Valley27,000Charlton, Greater Londonoldham 16 Oldham Bears8thWatersheddings9,000Oldham, Greater Manchesterpsg 16 Paris Saint-GermainN/ASébastien Charléty Stadium20,000Paris, Francesheffield 16 Sheffield Eagles5thDon Valley Stadium25,000Sheffield, South Yorkshirest Helens 16 St Helens4thKnowsley Road17,500St Helens, Mersyside warrington 16 Warrington Wolves9thWilderspool9,200Warrington, CheshireD*wigan 16 Wigan1st Central Park18,000Wigan, Greater Manchesterworkington 16 Workington Town11thDerwent Park10,000Workington, Cumbria D*-League and Cup winners Formation Original plan Although RFL chairman Maurice Lindsay had pushed for a more modern top-flight setup for some time, his previous efforts had only resulted in a tepid reform during the 1994 offseason.Gration Harry April 9, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/751824480/ Finest hour for radical Lindsay The Sunday Telegraph London 9 (Sport) newspapers.com The more radical Super League came together over just ninety-six hours in early April 1995, following overtures by emissaries of Australian media conglomerate News Ltd., who were looking for international partners to sway the battle for the control of Australian rugby league in their favour.Hadfield Dave 16 April 1995 15 April 1995 https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/how-the-deal-was-done-1615884.html How the deal was done The Independent London 8 (Sport) newspapers.com The first rumours transpiring from the talks mentioned a 1997 start.Irvine Christopher 8 April 1995 https://ia801000.us.archive.org/35/items/NewsUK1995UKEnglish/Apr%2008%201995%2C%20The%20Times%2C%20%2365236%2C%20UK%20%28en%29.pdf £25 million would sweeten bitter pill of club mergers The Times London 41 News' plan entailed moving the RFL season to summer to align it with the southern hemisphere, to which St Helens and Leeds were said to be the most reticent. In particular, Leeds feared scheduling conflicts with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, but they were quickly won over by the financial opportunities promised by the Murdoch deal. The English game's new era officially began on 8 April 1995, when RFL clubs voted to approve the £77 million package negotiated with News to help the transition.Fletcher Raymond Howes David 1995 https://archive.org/details/rothmansrugbylea0000flet/page/10/mode/2up Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook : 1995–96 Super League London Headline Book Publishing 9–14 9780747278177Dawson George April 10, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/916276459/ Old Trafford movie is Salford target Manchester Evening News 48 newspapers.com The initial plan for the European Super League (so named because it was then supposed to share the Super League moniker with an Australasian equivalent) included fourteen teams. Several of the twelve projected English teams were composites of existing small-town clubs.Irvine Christopher 10 April 1995 https://ia801000.us.archive.org/35/items/NewsUK1995UKEnglish/Apr%2010%201995%2C%20The%20Times%2C%20%2365237%2C%20UK%20%28en%29.pdf Disbelief meets swift creation of Super League The Times London 32 The initial plan was for the amalgamated teams to rotate between several stadiums, which would be replaced by a single, state-of-the-art venue in the future.Crossley Michael April 9, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/751824480/ Top-class clubs to amalgamate The Sunday Telegraph London 9 (Sport) newspapers.com Clubs could turn down the merger and be assigned to the second tier instead.Whalley John 17 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/751814924/ Rescue package which carries an ailing game into the 20th century (Maurice Lindsay interview) S14 newspapers.com Two French teams were added to give the competition the requisite European stature. Their management was entrusted to veteran coach Jacques Fouroux, who had recently founded a summer competition of his own called France Rugby League.Hadfield Dave 9 April 1995 https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/the-revolution-starts-here-1614896.html The revolution starts here The Independent London 6 (Sport) newspapers.com Promotion and relegation would be frozen for the first two seasons.Fitzpatrick Paul 10 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260764255/ Chairmen braced for supporter backlash The Guardian London 17 newspapers.com A Cardiff side was also slated to begin play in the second tier with an eye on promotion (a hastily thrown together Welsh club did take the field, but never reached those heights).Rees Paul 9 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/924209299/ RL moves to summer Wales on Sunday/Sport on Sunday Cardiff 1, 3 newspapers.comWhalley John 24 January 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752007394/ Super League to use eye in the stand The Daily Telegraph 37 newspapers.com An agent claimed that three Wales union stars, Mike Hall, Tony Clement and Robert Jones had inquired via a third party about the salaries on offer in the Super League, which Hall angrily denied, accusing the younger code of using his name for publicity.Rees Paul 9 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/924209299/ No Way! Wales on Sunday/Sport on Sunday Cardiff 1, 3 newspapers.com More speculative were plans for a team in Dublin, as was Jacques Fouroux's dream of teams in Barcelona (made up of players from French Catalonia) and Milan, which even the progressive Maurice Lindsay called unlikely.Irvine Christopher 14 May 1996 https://ia803107.us.archive.org/1/items/NewsUK1996UKEnglish/May%2014%201996%2C%20The%20Times%2C%20%2365579%2C%20UK%20%28en%29.pdf League sets its sights on union's heartlands The Times London 47 Legacy markets Consolidated markets Expansion markets Existing teams Merged as Bradford Castleford, Wakefield, Featherstone Calder Paris Halifax Hull F.C., Hull Kingston Rovers Humberside Toulouseprelim Contemporary press indicates that the Toulouse market would have been represented by a new team, rather than the historic Toulouse Olympique.Irvine Christopher 12 April 1995 https://ia601000.us.archive.org/35/items/NewsUK1995UKEnglish/Apr%2012%201995%2C%20The%20Times%2C%20%2365239%2C%20UK%20%28en%29.pdf Super League sways Leeds The Times London 42 Leeds Oldham, Salford Manchester colspan="2" rowspan="4" Londonprelim Guaranteed promotion from Second Division on economic grounds. Sheffield, Doncaster South Yorkshire St Helens Warrington, Widnes Cheshire Wigan Workington, Whitehaven, Barrow, Carlisle Cumbria prelim The reform immediately drew the opposition of the fanbases involved in the planned mergers,Crossley Michael April 16, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/751821938/ Easter Uprising The Sunday Telegraph London 6 (Sport) newspapers.com as well as a group of MPsFitzpatrick Patrick Bates Paul 11 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260764753/ Stadium crisis may force Wigan-Saints super merger The Guardian London 16 newspapers.com and the Rugby League Professional Players' Association. April 15, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1006433827 Boycott threat to Super League South Wales Evening Post Cardiff 33 newspapers.com Additionally, second-tier champions Keighley threatened to sue to get the promotion they had earned on the field prior to the reform.Whalley John 14 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/751821057/ Keighley set to sue following rejection The Daily Telegraph 33 newspapers.comWhalley John April 25, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/751817766/ Keighley's writ over Super League set-up The Daily Telegraph London 33 newspapers.comFitzpatrick Paul April 14, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260766476/ Keighley to sue RFL over Super League omission The Guardian London 17 newspapers.com Maurice Lindsay suggested that they enter the Super League via a merger with Bradford, which the club strenuously refused. Halifax was also briefly in talks to merge with Bradford or Huddersfield due to their outdated stadium. Their board of director did vote to merge with the former, but met with strong hostility from the community and did not proceed.Hamer Martin April 13, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/823758971/ Halifax fans unhappy at director's merger plans The Birmingham Post 14 newspapers.com Wigan president Jack Robinson even threatened an unlikely merger with the sport's other powerhouse St Helens, although this was primarily a political powerplay to put pressure on the city as he was looking for subsidies to upgrade his club's ground. Widnes, for its part, refused to merge with Warrington and instead opted to take first place on the Super League waiting list, due to the likely cancellation of the second French team based in Toulouse, 15 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/808104797/ French hand Widnes Super League reprieve Evening Sentinel Stoke-on-Trent 19 which was confirmed a few days later when Fouroux opted to focus his efforts on a single club.Burke David 15 April 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/916277867/ French leave grounds for celebration Manchester Evening News 45Irvine Christopher 15 April 1995 https://ia801000.us.archive.org/35/items/NewsUK1995UKEnglish/Apr%2015%201995%2C%20The%20Times%2C%20%2365242%2C%20UK%20%28en%29.pdf Warrington merger scrapped in new talks The Times London 40 Revised setup However, following another meeting on May 1, 1995, Murdoch's financial contribution was increased to £87 million and a new format was agreed upon by a majority of clubs. 6 May 1995 Latest details on the Rugby League revolution https://www.newspapers.com/image/899448519/ The Hull Daily Mail 10 newspapers.com The mergers were abandoned but, rather than enlarge the Superleague contingent as speculated, it was decided to trim it further to twelve teams: the capital cities of Paris and London, plus the top ten of the 1994–95 First Division campaign.Fitzpatrick Paul May 1, 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260779708/ Super League takes a cut The Guardian London 19 newspapers.comBettley Dave 4 May 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/917338221/ Chemics fight for place in Superleague Widnes Weekly News 1 newspapers.com This was supposed to amount to £1.1 million for each Super League club, although these projections were later lowered to £830,000 after the RFL took its share of it to finance central operating costs. 24 March 1996 Future on wing and a prayer https://www.newspapers.com/image/752014454/ Sunday Telegraph London Sport 9 Half of the Murdoch money was set aside for ground improvements.Irvine Christopher 29 March 1996 https://archive.org/details/NewsUK1996UKEnglish/Mar%2029%201996%2C%20The%20Times%2C%20%2365540%2C%20UK%20%28en%29/page/n45/mode/2up Rugby league springs into summer era The Times London 46 Salford, who did not make the cut, put in a bid to convince the RFL to let them represent Manchester in place of higher ranked Oldham, but ultimately chose to accept the new plan for the good of the game. 4 May 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/875097411/ Reds miss super chance Salford Advertiser 80 newspapers.com However, Widnes, which had just been reinstated thanks to Toulouse's withdrawal, found itself out of the league once more, on the basis of its uncharacteristically poor 1994–95 ranking. The club launched a lawsuit of its own against the RFL.Fitzpatrick Paul 2 May 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260780333 Welcome mat for Newcastle but Widnes shunned The Guardian London 24 newspapers.comRobert Chris 3 May 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/831231349/ Widnes Injunction Huddersfield Daily Examiner 22 newspapers.com It was summarily dismissed at the end of May, 27 May 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/261052391/ Losers Widnes face big bill The Guardian London 18 newspapers.com but Widnes and Keighley kept dragging their feet to sign the Super League agreement, demanding formal guarantees that a promotion and relegation system be preserved.Walker Nick 1 June 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/798808540/ Widnes stand film over Super League moves Liverpool Echo 72 newspapers.com In mid-July, the RFL voted in favour of a "one up, one down" scheme with immediate effect.Fitzpatrick Patrick 12 July 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/261120375/ Super League relents on early relegation The Guardian London 20 newspapers.com Keighley dropped their lawsuit shortly after. 21 July 1995 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1051920159/ Keighley drop legal threat Bolton Evening News 61 newspapers.com Operational rules Game presentation: The Rugby Football League Council approved a proposal by Super League chief executives to adopt squad numbering. Players would wear a number (1-25) on their shirts all season in addition to their names. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/super-league-adopts-squad-numbering-1318124.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/super-league-adopts-squad-numbering-1318124.html 2022-05-25 subscription live The Independent Super League adopts squad numbering Dave Hadfield 1996-02-09 2009-05-06 A video screen was added at all fields to announce the in-goal referee or video referee's decision. Rules to ensure the sustainability of Super League clubs were introduced: Clubs operated under a series of financial rules that specified spending levels in different areas of club operations, demanded that clubs' accounts be submitted monthly for monitoring. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/lindsay-defends-the-super-league-revolution-1325431.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/lindsay-defends-the-super-league-revolution-1325431.html 2022-05-25 subscription live The Independent Lindsay defends the Super League revolution Dave Hadfield 1996-01-23 2009-05-06 A salary cap restricted clubs from spending more than 40% of their income on players. To protect global Super League interests: Due to the Super League war in Australia, a number of British players signed "loyalty" contracts which gave News Corporation a veto power over them in an attempt to prevent transfers to Australian Rugby League clubs. ARL boss Ken Arthurson had previously warned that his organisation was not bound to respect the RFL's player rights any more following its alignment with the Murdoch camp.Tingle Richard 6 May 1995 Transfer free for all on the way https://www.newspapers.com/image/899448519/ The Hull Daily Mail 10 newspapers.com As non-traditional markets, London and Paris were exempted from the league's six-import limit.Walker Nick 1 March 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/916945610/ Rugby League Liverpool Echo 23 Rule changes Four new rules were introduced for the inaugural Super League season:Whalley John 29 March 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752008213/ Super League renews quest to capture hearts and minds The Daily Telegraph London 42 Scrums were now to be set 20 metres from the touch-line, with the aim of creating attacking opportunities. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-changes-usher-in-new-ball-game-1525565.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-changes-usher-in-new-ball-game-1525565.html 2022-05-25 subscription live The Independent Changes usher in new ball game Dave Hadfield 1995-12-13 2009-05-06 At the restart after a try has been scored and the conversion attempt has been taken, the side that scored will now kick off to the other team. This change aimed to make contests more even by almost guaranteeing possession for the side that had conceded points. Greg McCallum, the director of referees' coaching, also noted that this convention was "in line with most other sports" and "that is significant when we come to promoting the game in America and Asia". In an attempt to "clean up" the ruck: At the play-the-ball, the side not in possession was barred from striking for the ball. Also at the play-the-ball, the tackled player was stopped from being able to tap the ball forwards to himself - even in the absence of markers. Media coverage The beginning of the Super League era coincided with that of a new TV contract with Murdoch's Sky Sports, which was already the First Division's broadcaster, but now offered a more thorough schedule, featuring a Friday and a Saturday game on most weeks.19 January 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/848005449 Rugby league's new era has super exposure Birmingham Post 19 newspapers.com Up to seventeen cameras, including seven replay angles, were used.Borthwick Ian 25 March 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/725160022/ Sky Sports Evening Standard London 65 Video judges now replaced in-goal judges during games broadcast on Sky.Whalley John 24 January 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752007394/ Super League to use eye in the stand The Daily Telegraph 37 newspapers.com 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. Le Blog Day 2, Back to Charlety and Paris Saint Germain http://timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_league/2008/06/paris.html https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20080821035214/http://timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_league/2008/06/paris.html dead 21 August 2008 Chris Irvine, Times Online 12 June 2008 18 June 2008 Despite air traffic disruptions that forced members of the British press to seek alternate means of transport, the Super League received ample plaudits for its opener,Chrisirvine 1376300950680449028 March 29 1996, 25 years ago. Start of Super League. with PSG president Jacques Fouroux declaring 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." Pundits announced that the season would be more competitive than seen in recent memory, and predicted that St Helens would mount a serious challenge for Wigan's title. The Saints fulfilled those promises, and were crowned inaugural Super League champions after a win over Warrington Wolves at Knowsley Road, finishing in first position on the league ladder. Super League Champions Roll of Honour http://www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=345 Super League Official website 18 June 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100523002036/http://www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=345 23 May 2010 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. While a French team was an unknown quantity at this level, Paris Saint-Germain was deemed capable of at least avoiding relegation. Workington Town were the overwhelming favourites for the wooden spoon,Borthwick Ian 25 March 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/725160022/ Three lying in wait Evening Standard London 65 and failed to beat the odds, finishing at the bottom of the standings for the second successive season. 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 Premiership 1996 Rugby League 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.Premiership Trophy 1996 http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/premiership-trophy-1996/summary.html rugbyleagueproject.org Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates 6 January 2014 Wigan won the match 44-14 and their loose forward Andy Farrell received the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match. Final 1 st helens 16 St Helens 25 4 london 16 London Broncos 14 2 wigan 16 Wigan 42 3 bradford 16 Bradford Bulls 36 st helens 16 St Helens 14 wigan 16 Wigan 44 Statistics The following are the top points scorers in the Super League during the 1996 season. Statistics are for league matches only.Fletcher Raymond Howes David Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997 27 March 1997 Headline London 978-0-7472-7764-4 184–5 Most tries Player Team Tries Paul Newlove St Helens 28 Jason Robinson Wigan 24 John Bentley Halifax Blue Sox 21 Henry Paul Wigan 20 Danny Arnold St Helens 19 Robbie Paul Bradford Bulls 18 Richard Henare Warrington 17 Keith Senior Sheffield Eagles 17 Greg Barwick London Broncos 16 Rob Smyth Wigan 16 Anthony Sullivan St Helens 16 Most goals Player Team Goals Bobbie Goulding St Helens 117 Andy Farrell Wigan 103 John Schuster Halifax Blue Sox 101 Mark Aston Sheffield Eagles 86 Frano Botica Castleford Tigers 84 Steve McNamara Bradford Bulls 78 Graham Holroyd Leeds 76 Iestyn Harris Warrington 63 Greg Barwick London Broncos 50 Francis Maloney Oldham Bears 45 Most points Player Team Tries Goals DGs Points Bobbie Goulding St Helens 5 117 3 257 John Schuster Halifax Blue Sox 8 101 2 236 Andy Farrell Wigan 5 103 0 226 Graham Holroyd Leeds 11 76 2 198 Frano Botica Castleford Tigers 5 84 2 190 Mark Aston Sheffield Eagles 2 86 1 181 Greg Barwick London Broncos 16 50 2 166 Steve McNamara Bradford Bulls 1 78 2 162 Iestyn Harris Warrington 4 63 2 144 Francis Maloney Oldham Bears 6 45 0 114 See also Super League war 1996 Challenge Cup References 40em External links Super League Official website Super League I at rlhalloffame.org.uk Super League I at wigan.rlfans.com https://web.archive.org/web/20110715191323/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=147 2011-07-15 Super League I at rugbyleagueproject.com Category:1996 in English rugby league Category:1996 in French rugby league