Duration 22 Rounds Start date 1996 | Broadcast partners Sky Sports Number of teams 12 | |
Highest attendance 20,429
Wigan vs St. Helens (21 June) Lowest attendance 1,400
Workington Town vs London Broncos (23 June) Attendance 867,372
(average 6,571) Champions St. Helens
1st Super League title
8th English title People also search for Super League II, Super League III |
The year 1996's Stones Bitter Super League I was the official name for the 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. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995–96 Rugby Football League season plus one expansion club, Paris Saint-Germain.
Contents
Teams
Twelve teams were selected to play in the inaugural Super League season.
Operational rules
Player numbering:
Rules to ensure the sustainability of Super League clubs were introduced:
To protect global Super League interests:
Rule changes
Four new rules were introduced for the inaugural Super League season:
In an attempt to "clean up" the ruck:
Championship
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. Jacques Fouroux, the PSG president, described 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."
The reigning champions Wigan were hoping to maintain their hold on the championship in the newly formed Super League. However, at the end of the season St. Helens were crowned inaugural Super League champions after a win over Warrington Wolves at Knowsley Road, finishing in first position on the league ladder. 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.
Workington Town finished bottom for the second successive season and thus relegated to the first division. 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.
Premiership
The top four finishing teams competed in a short play-off series for the Premiership Trophy. The final was played between the Wigan and St. Helens on Sunday, 8 September at Old Trafford before a crowd of 35,013. Wigan won the match 44-14 and their loose forward Andy Farrell received the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.
Statistics
The following are the top points scorers in the Super League during the 1996 season. Statistics are for league matches only.
Most points