1991 World Club Challenge
Encyclopedia
The 1991 World Club Challenge
(marketed as the Foster's World Club Challenge due to sponsorship from the brewer) was contested by 1990–91 RFL Championship winners, Wigan
and 1991 NSWRL season premiers, the Penrith Panthers
. The match was played on a dry Wednesday the 2nd of October, 1991 at Anfield
, Liverpool. A crowd of 20,152 was in attendance for the game which was refereed by Alain Sablayrolles (France).
due to ankle injury that required surgery.
By just the 13th minute Wigan had gotten away to a handy lead with the score at 8 - 0 after Frano Botica kicked four consecutive penalties. Penrith then answered five minutes later with an uncoverted try from Darren Wills. However this was to be the last time Penrith scored in the match. Wigan's Sam Panapa got their first try in the 27th minute which was converted by Botica, bringing the scoreline to 14 - 4 which lasted until half-time.
No points were scored in the second half of the game until two thirds of the way through when Botica kicked a fifth penalty goal. David Myers scored Wigan's second try and the last of the match in the 77th minute. Just before the full-time whistle, Joe Lydon successfully kicked a field goal, adding insult to injury and making the final score Wigan 21, Penrith 4.
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
(marketed as the Foster's World Club Challenge due to sponsorship from the brewer) was contested by 1990–91 RFL Championship winners, Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
and 1991 NSWRL season premiers, the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. The match was played on a dry Wednesday the 2nd of October, 1991 at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Liverpool. A crowd of 20,152 was in attendance for the game which was refereed by Alain Sablayrolles (France).
Match details
Penrith were without their star grand final forward Mark GeyerMark Geyer
Mark Geyer , is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-rower, he is currently a rugby league media identity...
due to ankle injury that required surgery.
| Penrith Panthers Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan... |
Position | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
|---|---|---|
| Greg Barwick Greg Barwick Greg Barwick is a former Australian rugby league player.Greg Barwick has previously played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, North Sydney Bears & Sydney Tigers in the NSWRL Winfield Cup and the London Broncos in the European Super League. Barwick was fullback for Penrith in... |
1. FB | Steve Hampson Steve Hampson Steve R. Hampson is a former rugby league player. He played for Wigan in the Rugby League Premiership and alongside fellow import Andy Gregory for the Illawarra Steelers in the NSWRL premiership in 1989. He played as a... |
| Darren Willis | 2. WG | David Myers David Myers (rugby league) David Myers was an English rugby league footballer who at representative level played for Great Britain on the 1992 tour of Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand, and at club level for Widnes , Warrington, Wigan, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Bulls, Western Suburbs... |
| Graeme Bradley Graeme Bradley Graeme Bradley is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Illawarra Steelers, Penrith Panthers and the St. George Dragons in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership as well as the Castleford Tigers and Bradford Bulls in England.Bradley played junior... |
3. CE | Sam Panapa Sam Panapa Sam Panapa is a former rugby league player and coach who represented three countries in his career.-Playing career:A Te Atatu Roosters junior in the Auckland Rugby League competitions, Panapa played club football in Britain for Wigan... |
| Brad Izzard Brad Izzard Brad Izzard was an Australian rugby league player for the Penrith Panthers in the New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia as well as playing four games for the New South Wales State of Origin side... |
4. CE | Joe Lydon |
| Graham Mackay Graham Mackay Graham Mackay is an Australian former national and state representative rugby league footballer whose club career spanned nine Australian and English clubs, including Western Suburbs, Penrith, Gold Coast Chargers and Hull F.C. in a fifteen year top grade career... |
5. WG | Frano Botica Frano Botica Frano Michael Botica is a former rugby union and rugby league player who represented his country at both sports and also played for Croatia in a rugby union world cup qualifying match.-Rugby union:... |
| Steve Carter Steve Carter (rugby league) Steve Carter is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative five-eighth, in Australia he played for and captained the Penrith Panthers, with whom he won the 1991 NSWRL Premiership... |
6. FE / SO | Shaun Edwards Shaun Edwards Shaun Edwards OBE is an English rugby union coach and former rugby league player. He is defence coach of Wales, a post he has held since 2008. In November 2011 he left London Wasps after 10 years with the club, latterly as head coach.... |
| Greg Alexander Greg Alexander Gregory Peter Stephen "Greg" Alexander is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s who has since become a commentator. A goal-kicking half-back, in his career he played for and captained the Penrith Panthers and the Auckland Warriors clubs and also represented his country... (c) |
7. HB / SH | Andy Gregory Andy Gregory Andrew "Andy" Gregory is an English former rugby league footballer. A Great Britain international representative /, he is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame... |
| Brandon Lee | 8. PR | Kelvin Skerrett Kelvin Skerrett Kelvin Skerrett is a British former professional rugby league footballer. His position was .Kelvin Skerrett was a Welsh international and played at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup... |
| Royce Simmons Royce Simmons Royce Simmons is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player, currently the head coach of St Helens RLFC in the European Super League... |
9. HK | Martin Dermott Martin Dermott Martin Dermott is a former professional rugby league footballler who was capped 12 times for the Great Britain national team... |
| Paul Dunn Paul Dunn (rugby league) Paul Dunn is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A New Souht Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he played club football in Sydney for Eastern Suburbs, Canterbury-Bankstown, Parramatta and Penrith.-Biography:Dunn was... |
10. PR | Andy Platt Andy Platt Andy Platt is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A Great Britain international representative prop forward, he played for English clubs St Helens, Wigan, Widnes and Salford, as well as in New Zealand for the Auckland Warriors.-Playing career:He started his... |
| Paul Clarke | 11. SR | Denis Betts Denis Betts Denis C. Betts is an English rugby league coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Widnes Vikings in the Engage Super League. He played for Wigan in the Rugby League Premiership and the Australian NRL, for the Auckland Warriors, and also represented England at the 1995 Rugby... |
| John Cartwright John Cartwright (rugby league) John Cartwright is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League... |
12. SR | Billy McGinty Billy McGinty (rugby league) Billy McGinty is a Scottish former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century. He played in the forwards for Wigan during the period in the 1990s when they dominated the sport, and later for Workington Town.... |
| Colin van der Voort Colin van der Voort Colin van der Voort is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s. He played in the New South Wales Rugby League's Winfield Cup Premiership with the Penrith Panthers from 1986 to 1994 and was a member of the club's grand final-winning team in the 1991 season.He... |
13. LK / LF | Phil Clarke Phil Clarke Phil Clarke is an English rugby league football commentator and former professional player of the 1980s and 90s. A Great Britain and England international representative loose forward, he spent his club career with Wigan, as well as a stint in Australia with the Sydney Roosters.Phil Clarke is the... |
| Ben Alexander | 14. Bench | Ian Lucas Ian Lucas (rugby league) Ian Lucas is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan, playing at , i.e. number 8 or 10, and at club level has coached for Leigh... |
| Grant Izzard Grant Izzard Grant Izzard is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1990s. He played for the Penrith Panthers and the Illawarra Steelers of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership... |
15. Bench | Ian Gildart Ian Gildart Ian Gildart is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s who at club level has played for Wigan, Wakefield Trinity, and Oldham Bears, playing at , i.e... |
| Tony Xuereb Anthony Xuerub Anthony Xuerub is an Australian former professional rugby league player for the Penrith Panthers and the Western Suburbs Magpies in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership.... |
16. Bench | Neil Cowie Neil Cowie Neil Cowie is an English born Welsh former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, and Wigan Warriors, playing at , i.e... |
| Paul Smith | 17. Bench | Mike Forshaw Mike Forshaw Michael "Mike" Forshaw is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He began his playing career with Wigan in 1987 and went on to play for Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Bulls & Warrington Wolves.He had a brief stint at Saracens F.C... |
| Phil Gould Phil Gould Phil Gould is an Australian rugby league broadcaster, journalist, administrator and former player and coach. Since the 1990s he has had a prominent role in Channel 9's coverage of rugby league, as a commentator on their match-day coverage, and appears on The Sunday Footy Show and The Sunday Roast... |
Coach | John Monie John Monie John Monie is a former professional rugby league coach and player. He is probably best known for his coaching career where he won premierships in both Australia and England.-Playing career:... |
By just the 13th minute Wigan had gotten away to a handy lead with the score at 8 - 0 after Frano Botica kicked four consecutive penalties. Penrith then answered five minutes later with an uncoverted try from Darren Wills. However this was to be the last time Penrith scored in the match. Wigan's Sam Panapa got their first try in the 27th minute which was converted by Botica, bringing the scoreline to 14 - 4 which lasted until half-time.
No points were scored in the second half of the game until two thirds of the way through when Botica kicked a fifth penalty goal. David Myers scored Wigan's second try and the last of the match in the 77th minute. Just before the full-time whistle, Joe Lydon successfully kicked a field goal, adding insult to injury and making the final score Wigan 21, Penrith 4.