2015 World Club Series#World Club Challenge
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox rugby football league season
| year = 2015 World Club Series
| title league = World Club Series
|logo =
| pixels = 300px
|duration= 3 games
| no_of_teams = 6
| highest_attendance = 20,842
{{leagueicon|Wigan|16}} Wigan Warriors vs
{{leagueicon|Brisbane|16}} Brisbane Broncos
| lowest_attendance = 13,080
{{leagueicon|Warrington|16}} Warrington Wolves vs
{{leagueicon|St George |16}} St George Illawarra Dragons
| avg_attendance = 17,301
| TV = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Sky Sports
{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} BBC Sport
{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} SLTV
{{flagicon|Australia}} Fox Sports (Australia)
{{flagicon|France}} beIN Sport
{{flagicon|United States}} Fox Soccer Plus
{{flagicon|Europe}} Sport Klub
| biggest_win = 39-0
| biggest_away_win =
| season = 2015 Series
| season_champs = {{leagueicon|South Sydney|16}} South Sydney Rabbitohs
| season_champ_name = World Champions
| league_leaders = {{flagicon|Australia|16}} NRL
| league_leaders_name =Series Winners
| second_place =
|MVP last =
| refereenext MVP_link = 2016
|top_scorer = {{leagueicon|South Sydney|16}} Adam Reynolds (12)
| top_scorer_link =
| top_goals =
| top_goals_link =
|top try scorer = {{leagueicon|South Sydney|16}} Joel Reddy (2)
|top last try scorer_link = 2014
| next promote = 2016
|promoted_from =
|relegate =
|relegate_to =
|playoffs = Super League Play=offs (for top 8)
Super League Qualifying Play-Offs (for bottom 4 as well as top 4 of Championship
|playoffs_link ={{Cite web |url=http://media.therfl.co.uk/docs/Policy%20Review%20-%20September%202013.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305004815/http://media.therfl.co.uk/docs/Policy%20Review%20-%20September%202013.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-league/25780498|title = Super League restructure confirmed|work = BBC Sport}}
|conf1 =
|conf1_link =
|conf1_champ =
|conf1-runner-up =
|conf2 =
|conf2_link =
|conf2_champ =
|conf2-runner-up =
|playoffs_MVP =
|playoffs_MVP_link =
|finals =
|finals_link =
|finals_champ =
|finals-runner-up =
|finals_MVP =
|finals_MVP_link =
|prevseason_link = 2014 World Club Challenge
|prevseason_year = 2014
|nextseason_link = 2016 World Club Series
|nextseason_year = 2016
}}
The 2015 World Club Series was the inaugural World Club Series and was contested by six clubs (three each from the Super League and National Rugby League), including Super League XIX champions, St Helens R.F.C. and 2014 NRL Premiers, the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The 2015 series marked a departure from the previous format, whereby only the premiers from the two respective competitions would take part.
Background
In September 2014 it was announced that the World Club Series would be overhauled to include six clubs – three each from the Super League and Australia's National Rugby League.{{Cite web |url=http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/world-club-series-details-announced/ |title = WORLD CLUB SERIES DETAILS ANNOUNCED - Rugby League Week |access-date=11 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221245/http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/world-club-series-details-announced/ |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} The 2015 series will take place between 22–25 February, and will feature three matches, the first and second essentially being two exhibition games and the final game being for the Championship trophy between the two respective premiers as in previous years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/dragons-to-play-in-world-club-series/tabid/10874/newsid/82453/default.aspx|title=Dragons to play in World Club Series|date=8 October 2014}}
Other than the two aforementioned teams, it was also announced that Super League clubs the Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors, as well as National Rugby League clubs the St. George Illawarra Dragons and Brisbane Broncos would also take part.{{cite web |title=Warrington Wolves to take part in 2015 World Club Series |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/29489718 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=9 June 2024 |date=4 October 2014}}[http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2014/10/09/clubs_confirmed_for_2015_world_club_series.html Clubs Confirmed for 2015 World Club Series], South Sydney Rabbitohs official website, 9 October 2014
Series details
=Series Score=
| class="wikitable"
!Winners !Score !Runners-up |
| {{flagicon|AUS|16}} NRL
!3 - 0 |{{flagicon|ENG|16}} Super League |
=Game 1=
{{rugbyleaguebox
| bg = #eeeeee
| date = 20 February 2015
| score = 12 – 18
| report = 1st: 10 - 12
2nd: 2 - 6
| team1 = Warrington Wolves {{leagueicon|Warrington|16}}
| team2 = {{leagueicon|St George Illawarra|16}} St. George Illawarra Dragons
| points1 = Tries:
Gareth O'Brien (13') 1
Ryan Atkins (30') 1
Goals:
Gareth O'Brien 2/3
(14', 59' pen)
| points2 = Tries:
1 (2') Tyson Frizell
1 (19') Joel Thompson
1 (63') Josh Dugan
Goals:
3/3 Gareth Widdop
(3', 20', 64')
| stadium = Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington
| attendance = 13,080
| referee = {{flagicon|England}} Ben Thaler
| manofmatch =
}}
=Game 2=
{{rugbyleaguebox
| bg = #eeeeee
| date = 21 February 2015
| score = 12 – 14
| report = 1st: 6 - 6
2nd: 6 - 6
ET: 0 - 2
| team1 = Wigan Warriors {{leagueicon|Wigan|16}}
| team2 = {{leagueicon|Brisbane|16}} Brisbane Broncos
| points1 = Tries:
Liam Farrell (25') 1
Joe Burgess (79') 1
Goals:
Matty Smith 2/2
(26', 80')
| points2 = Tries:
1 (7') Andrew McCullough
1 (56') Lachlan Maranta
Goals:
3/4 Corey Parker
(8', 69' pen, 90')
| stadium = DW Stadium, Wigan
| attendance = 20,842
| referee = {{flagicon|England}} Phil Bentham
| manofmatch =
}}
=World Club Challenge=
File:Aerial view of Langtree Park Rugby Stadium 2019.jpg hosted the match]]
{{rugbyleaguebox
| bg = #eeeeee
| date = 22 February 2015
| score = 0 – 39
| report = 1st: 0 – 24
2nd: 0 – 15
| team1 = St Helens {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
| team2 = {{leagueicon|South Sydney|16}} South Sydney Rabbitohs
| points1 =
| points2 = Tries:
2 (31', 67') Joel Reddy
1 (2') Glenn Stewart
1 (20') Dylan Walker
1 (24') Greg Inglis
1 (47') Luke Keary
1 (58') Chris McQueen
Goals:
5/8 Adam Reynolds
(3', 8' pen, 25', 33', 48')
Field Goals:
1 (78') Adam Reynolds
| stadium = Langtree Park, St. Helens
| attendance = 17,980
| referee = {{flagicon|England}} Richard Silverwood
| manofmatch = {{leagueicon|South Sydney|16}} George Burgess
}}
==St. Helens Rugby League Football Club==
Saints finished Super League XIX's regular season in 1st place and on 11 October 2014 defeated defending premiers the Wigan Warriors 14 - 6 in the 2014 Super League Grand Final,{{cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/11/st-helens-wigan-super-league-grand-final-match-report|title= St Helens win Grand Final after Wigan's Ben Flower is sent off|date= 11 October 2014 |work=The Guardian|access-date=15 October 2014}}{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-league/29559845|title= St Helens 14-6 Wigan Warriors|date= 11 October 2014 |work=BBC Sport|access-date=15 October 2014}} qualifying the Saints for their sixth World Club Challenge overall.
==South Sydney Rabbitohs==
{{Further|2014 South Sydney Rabbitohs season|2014 NRL Grand Final}}
The Rabbitohs finished the 2014 NRL season in third place and on 5 October 2014 defeated the 7th-placed Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30 - 6 in the 2014 NRL Grand Final,{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-match-report/nrl-grand-final-south-sydney-win-first-title-in-43-years-with-victory-over-canterbury-bulldogs-20141005-10qmr5.html|title=NRL Grand Final: South Sydney win first title in 43 years with victory over Canterbury Bulldogs|last=Chammas|first=Michael|date=5 October 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=5 October 2014}} qualifying South Sydney for their first World Club Challenge.
| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|+ 2015 World Club Series Final Teams !align="centre" width="172" style="border: 3px solid red; background: white; color: red"|St Helens !align="center" style="background: #eeeeee; color: black"|Posit. !align="centre" width="172" style="border: 3px solid red; background: green; color: white"|South Sydney | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | Jonny Lomax | Fullback | Greg Inglis (c) |
| style="text-align:center;" | Tommy Makinson | Winger | Alex Johnston |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mark Percival | Centre | Dylan Walker |
| style="text-align:center;" | Jordan Turner | Centre | Bryson Goodwin |
| style="text-align:center;" | Adam Swift | Winger | Joel Reddy |
| style="text-align:center;" | Travis Burns | Five-eighth | Luke Keary |
| style="text-align:center;" | Jon Wilkin (c) | Halfback | Adam Reynolds |
| style="text-align:center;" | Kyle Amor | Prop | George Burgess |
| style="text-align:center;" | James Roby | Hooker | Issac Luke |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mose Masoe | Prop | David Tyrrell |
| style="text-align:center;" | Joe Greenwood | Second Row | Glenn Stewart |
| style="text-align:center;" | Atelea Vea | Second Row | John Sutton |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mark Flanagan | Lock | Ben Lowe |
| style="text-align:center;" | Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook | Interchange | Jason Clark |
| style="text-align:center;" | Alex Walmsley | Interchange | Chris McQueen |
| style="text-align:center;" | Luke Thompson | Interchange | Tom Burgess |
| style="text-align:center;" | Andre Savelio | Interchange | Chris Grevsmuhl |
| style="text-align:center;" | Keiron Cunningham | Coach | Michael Maguire |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{World Club Challenge}}
{{2015 in rugby league}}
{{South Sydney Rabbitohs - 2015 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{South Sydney Rabbitohs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:World Club Series}}
Category:2015 in Australian rugby league
Category:2015 in English rugby league