1997 in rugby league centered on the

Super League II Stones Bitter Super League II was the official name for the year 1997's Super League championship season, the 103rd season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the second to be played in summer. Teams Twelve teams were ...

and Australasia's split season (between the competing Australian Rugby League and

Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...

organisations). * March 1 at Townsville, Queensland – Adelaide Rams play their first match, a 16-24 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys at

Dairy Farmers Stadium The Willows Sports Complex, currently known as 1300SMILES Stadium through sponsorship, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has been a predominantly rugby league ground as the home ground of the North Q ...

before 17,738. * March 2 at Newcastle, Australia –

Hunter Mariners The Hunter Mariners were an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Hunter Region's largest city, Newcastle. Hunter was formed in mid-1995 and was later disbanded at the end of 1997. The club was formed because of the Super Leag ...

play their first match: a 16-20 loss to the

Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...

Topper Stadium The Gardens Greyhound & Sporting Complex is an Australian stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales. The complex is known as Newcastle Greyhounds when it was used as a greyhound racing venue. It was the former home of the Newcastle Breakers, ...

before 6,579. The new club only lasts until the end of the season when it is closed. * April 25 at

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

–

's inaugural ANZAC Test match is won by

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

34-22 against New Zealand at the

Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...

before 23,829. * May 3 - London, United Kingdom: In the

1997 Challenge Cup The 1997 Challenge Cup, known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 96th staging of the Challenge Cup, a European rugby league cup competition. The competition ended with the final on 3 May 1997, which was played at Wemb ...

Final St. Helens defeat Bradford Bulls 32-22 at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 78,022. St. Helens' stand off half

Tommy Martyn Thomas Martyn (born 4 June 1971) is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and coached in the 2000s. He played at representative level for Ireland, and at club level for Oldham ( Herita ...

is awarded the Lance Todd Trophy as man-of-the-match. * May 19 at Brisbane, Australia –

Super League Tri-series The Super League Tri-series was an international rugby league football tournament contested in 1997 between Queensland, New South Wales, and New Zealand representative rugby league teams. It was run by the breakaway Super League organisation as an a ...

tournament culminates with New South Wales' 23-22 win against Queensland in the final at ANZ Stadium before 35,570. This match is notable for being the longest ever played, at 104 minutes. * June 11 at

Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...

– The

1997 State of Origin series The 1997 State of Origin series was the 16th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selec ...

is wrapped up by New South Wales in game two of the three-match series against Queensland at the

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...

before 25,105. * August 31 at Brisbane, Australia – South Queensland Crushers play their final game before folding: a 39-18 win over the Western Suburbs Magpies at

Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

before 11,588. * August 31 in United Kingdom –

's final match is played and Bradford Bulls, who finished on top of the table, are crowned champions. * September 20 at Brisbane, Australia – the Australasian 1997 Super League season culminates in the Brisbane Broncos' 26-8 win over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the grand final at ANZ Stadium before 58,912. *The 1997 Rothmans Medal for player of the

ARL Premiership The ARL Premiership was Australia's first grade rugby league competition between 1995 and 1997. It replaced the previous competition, the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, after the competition expanded to 20 teams with the admittance of fo ...

was awarded to Sydney City Roosters captain and five-eighth, Brad Fittler. * September 28 at

– the

1997 ARL season The 1997 Australian Rugby League season was the 90th season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the third season run by the Australian Rugby League. While several clubs had left the League to compete in the 1997 Super Leagu ...

culminates in the Newcastle Knights' 22-16 win over the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the grand final at the

before 42,482. Newcastle

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

Robbie O'Davis is awarded the Clive Churchill Medal. * September 28 - Manchester, United Kingdom: In the 1997 Super League Premiership Final Wigan Warriors defeat St. Helens 33-20 at

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...

before a crowd of 33,389. The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to Wigan's loose forward Andrew Farrell. * October 17 at Auckland, New Zealand –

1997 World Club Championship The 1997 World Club Championship was an expansion of the World Club Challenge concept by Super League. The rugby competition was restructured to include all 22 clubs from the Australasian Super League (Australia), Super League and the Super Leag ...

tournament culminates in the Brisbane Broncos' 36-12 win over the

Mount Smart Stadium Mount Smart Stadium (formerly known as Ericsson Stadium) is a multipurpose stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League, and occasionally hosts rugby union and internatio ...

before 12,000. This was the Mariners' final match before folding at the close of the season. * November 16 in

Leeds, United Kingdom Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populatio ...

The Super League Test series is won by

who defeat Great Britain 20 - 37 in the third and deciding match at

Elland Road Elland Road is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Premier League club Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the 14th largest football stadium in England. The g ...

before a crowd of 39,337. *December 19 -

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

: representatives of clubs affiliated with the Australian Rugby League gathered at the

to decide whether to accept News Limited's offer of a settlement with the breakaway '

' - eventually voting in favour by 36 votes to 4. As a result, in the following months the National Rugby League, jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited, was formed.

References

{{1997 in rugby league