World Club Challenge 1997.

[the big boy]

Ive got a bit of an obsession with the SL and wish I was around for this tournament in '97.

Anyone go to any of the games, particularly in the UK? Anyone care to share any memories?

I scoured the image archive and there is not much in there I could find. Anyone got any pictures?

While the whole SL was a debacle and set the game back ten years, you gotta admire their vision and ambition to grow the game and try to be innovative.

If you want my opinion, a round robin tournament with all NRL and SL clubs should be played every 4 years or so.

Just on the tournament we got knocked out in the Semi final agianst Hunter Mariners:


20 June 1997 Cronulla Sharks def. Bradford Bulls 30-10 Odsal Stadium Bradford 10,756 21 July 1997 Cronulla Sharks def. St Helens 28-12 Shark Park Sydney 7,751
26 July 1997 Cronulla Sharks def. Warrington Wolves 44-0 Shark Park Sydney 6,112
2 August 1997 Cronulla Sharks def. Bradford Bulls 40-12 Shark Park Sydney 8,272
6 October 1997 Cronulla Sharks def. London Broncos 40-16 The Stoop London 6,239
11 October 1997 Hunter Mariners def. Cronulla Sharks 22-18 Shark Park Sydney 5,214



This, from Wiki, is also interesting.

In 1997, the World Club Challenge was restructured to include 22 clubs from the Australasian and European Super League competitions and was known as the Visa World Club Championship. As it was contested over 6 rounds in 2 hemispheres, with AU$1,000,000 prize money (GBP 640,000), the competition was prohibitively expensive to stage, and it reportedly lost over $5,000,000.

 

[josh11223344]

If you want my opinion, a round robin tournament with all NRL and SL clubs should be played every 4 years or so.

I love that idea but they might find it hard to fit it into the schedule, would be very keen to watch it though.

 

[SF]

I think I went to two of the Shark Park games, one a slaughter, and the other the loss to the Mariners.

I had a few of the Super League magazines left after 97, but even they didn't give lots of attention to it by the end.

If anyone has any games/articles on it I'd love to see them too.

These are the only related images I could find here:

Tawera Nikau leaving the Sharks, partly for refusing to go to WCC in London
http://sharksforever.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2191

Streaker interrupts game in Warrington
http://sharksforever.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2192

 

[the big boy]

Thanks SF.

Correct me If I am wrong but these games would be the only ones where Cronulla have played anywhere else other than Australia or New Zealand?

 

[Jenni]

I went to the games played at the WACA - Perth Reds vs Sheffield Eagles, Castleford Tigers, Paris-St Germain.

... [edit] I had a few of the Super League magazines left after 97, but even they didn't give lots of attention to it by the end.
If anyone has any games/articles on it I'd love to see them too.... [edit]

I have all of the SL magazines packed away, I'll dig them out some time in the near future and see what I can find.

 

[Gil]

RE: Super League mags

I've the Grand Final programme and two from during the year if thats any help.

Also my Sharks super league caps pictures are in the images section as well as other stuff.




World club challenge cap.