Carnegie World Club Challenge of Rugby League: Leeds Rhinos vs. Melbourne Storm

The champions of the Australian National Rugby League and the European Super League will battle it out to see who becomes the 2010 World Club Champions of Rugby.

In this championship matchup the 2009 ESL champs the Leeds Rhinos will face-off with the 2009 NRL champs the Melbourne Storm. The match takes place at the Leeds United FC’s home at Elland Road in Leeds today, Sunday, February 28, 2010, at 6:30 pm GMT.

The Melbourne Storm was the first team to win the Carnegie World Club Challenge, when it first started in the year 2000. Since then, however, the annual event has been dominated primarily by teams from England, with the Leeds Rhinos themselves winning twice, in 2005 and again in 2008, this time against, as it happens, the Melbourne Storm. But though the Rhinos made it to the World Club Challenge once again in 2009, they couldn’t quite hold on for a second year running. It must also be kept in mind that the Rhinos and Storm of this season aren’t the same Rhinos and Storm that notched all these accomplishments in years past (including recent years).

But even with the English advantage, the reigning champions from last year’s Carnegie World Club Challenge, are Australian; namely the Manly Sea Eagles from Sydney.

Will an Australian take the title for a second year in a row? Or will the Carnegie “crown” travel back to England? The Australia-England rivalry continues, this time in championship rugby league.

Preceding the game is a Super League program that includes games at both St Helens and Huddersfield.

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