1976 (1976) Unofficial World Club Challenge
Sydney Cricket Ground hosted the match
Eastern Suburbs St. Helens (NSWRFL) (RFL) 25 2
1 Total EAS 0 25 ST H 0 2
Date	29 June 1976
Stadium	Sydney Cricket Ground
Location	Moore Park, Australia
Man of the Match	Royce Ayliffe
Referee	Gary Cook
Attendance	26,856
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters	ATN 7
Commentators	Rex Mossop Barry Ross
World Club Challenge 1987 →

The 1976 World Club Challenge was an unofficial trial of what would later become the World Club Challenge concept, with the 1975 NSWRFL season's premiers, Eastern Suburbs hosting the 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season's Premiership and Challenge Cup winners St. Helens. The one-off challenge match was played on 29 June, right in the middle of the 1976 NSWRFL season, at the Sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 26,856.^[1]

The next game of its kind would not be played until 1987.

Background

The game was the first of its type, and was the last to be played in Australia until 1994.

Eastern Suburbs Roosters

The Roosters, coached by Jack Gibson and captained by Australian international forward Arthur Beetson, were the reigning Sydney premiers having won the NSWRFL Grand Finals in both 1974 and 1975.^{[citation needed]}

St Helens

Saints were the reigning English champions, having won the title in 1974-75. Saints were coached by former Great Britain captain Eric Ashton and captained by Welsh dual rugby international Kel Coslett.^{[citation needed]}

Teams

Eastern Suburbs

St Helens

FB 1 Russell Fairfax LW 2 Ian Schubert CE 3 Mark Harris CE 4 John Brass RW 5 Bill Mullins FE 8 Trevor Barnes HB 7 Kevin Stevens LK 9 Barry Reilly SR 11 Arthur Beetson (c) SR 16 Ian Mackay PR 13 Royce Ayliffe HK 12 Elwyn Walters PR 10 Kel Jones Substitutions: IC 6 Robert Laurie IC 20 Johnny Mayes IC 21 Grant Hedger IC 14 Greg Townsend Coach: Jack Gibson

FB 1 Geoff Pimblett RW 2 Les Jones CE 3 Eddie Cunningham CE 4 Derek Noonan LW 5 Roy Mathias SO 6 Billy Benyon SH 16 Kenneth Gwilliam PR 8 John Mantle HK 9 Tony Karalius PR 10 Kel Coslett (c) SR 11 Eric Chisnall SR 12 George Nicholls LF 13 David Hull Substitutions: IC 14 Peter Glynn IC 15 Frank Wilson IC 7 Jeff Heaton IC 17 Mel James Coach: Eric Ashton

Match details

29 June 1976

Eastern Suburbs Roosters	25 – 2	St. Helens
Tries: Russell Fairfax Kevin Stevens Royce Ayliffe Ian Schubert Greg Townsend Goals: John Brass (5)		Tries: Goals: Pimblett (1)

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 26,856 Referee: Gary Cook Player of the Match: Royce Ayliffe

Aftermath

After winning the 1974 and 1975 Sydney premierships, Eastern Suburbs would not win another until 2002, while St Helens would go on to win a third English premiership in succession in 1976–77.

The next time Easts, now known as the Sydney Roosters, would play in a World Club Challenge was in 2003 where they would again face St Helens, the 2002 Super League champions at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England. The result would be no different though as the Roosters defeated the Saints 38-0 in front of 19,807 fans.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the challenge, St Helens and the Sydney Roosters played a match as part of the 2016 World Club Series.^[2]

See also

• World Club Challenge

References

External links

• 1976 World Club Challenge at superleague.co.uk
• 1976 World Club Challenge at rugbyleagueproject.com