Rugby League Advent #2 – Can you name all 10 double winners?
In the history of rugby league, only 10 clubs have won the double of league championship and Challenge Cup in the same season.
The most recent team to do it were Leeds in 2015 and before that in 2013 by Wigan, who equate for seven of the 19 times the double has been achieved.
They managed it in six successive seasons during their incredible spell of the early 1990s.
The feat has been achieved three other times in the Super League era – by St Helens in 1996 and 2006 and Bradford in 2003.
Aside from Wigan and St Helens, the only other team to have done the double more than once is Huddersfield, who did it way back in 1912-13 and 1914-15.
Prior to Wigan’s dominant era, St Helens were the last team to achieve it in 1965-66, while Warrington managed it in 1953-54.
Other teams in the double honours list are Broughton Rangers (1901-02), Halifax (1902-03), Hunslet (1907-08) and Swinton (1927-28).
What’s on site
Check out our new weekend shorts feature, where James and Drew debate a burning rugby league issue in five minutes – this week’s discussion is on whether there should be a mid-season international in 2019.
Big Jim Mills is the latest former player to tell us about his First Game.
There was an eye-catching signing announced on Saturday morning, as Wigan confirmed the capture of Jarrod Sammut from newly-promoted London Broncos.
Wakefield chairman Michael Carter describes them as the “Wimbledon of Super League” as they continue to punch above their weight.
What’s on social
Widnes are unlikely to have a more eventful week than last week, though the Anthony Gelling saga may still run for a while. He was at the stadium on Friday and was snapped in the local Nando’s (where else).
.@AnthonyGelling in Widnes Nando’s, announce it now lads @WidnesRL pic.twitter.com/LWtRuwu7FB
— Paul Hurst (@paul_hurst11) November 30, 2018
This may call for a best name in rugby league feature…
Has to be the result of the weekend just for the team names alone – Bilgi Badgers beat Bosphorus Wolves 46-16 in the Turkish domestic competition at Kadikoy Fikirtepe #rugbyleague #longwayfromM62
— Phil Caplan (@scratchingshed2) December 2, 2018
Sadly, there is still unjustified opposition to the greatest game growing across the world.
3 years on since our unwanted world record and sadly, nothing has changed. In fact, the state is now more hostile than ever towards rugby league and playing matches top secret, undisclosed locations has now become normal to us. And we are supposedly living in 2018. pic.twitter.com/NB0Lo02uJt
— Greek Rugby League Association (@GreekRL) November 30, 2018
What’s in the papers
If you’ve not been singing “Jamaica we have a rugby league team” then you need to re-evaluate. Check out this feature in The Sun on the recent World Cup qualifiers.
A man with a colourful career, Anthony Mundine, is subject to a lengthy personal profile in The Guardian.