Melbourne set to storm World Club Challenge
Friday 16 November 2012 5:00 PM
NRL Premiers Melbourne Storm will play English Super League Premiers Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge on Friday 22 February 2013 at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
Melbourne Storm will take a full strength squad to the UK for the World Club Challenge match, with the game a key part of Storm’s final preparations leading into the 2013 NRL Premiership season.
Storm will depart Australia for the UK on Tuesday 12 February and will spend time training and preparing for the match in London before travelling to Leeds.
Melbourne Storm and the Leeds Rhinos have already met twice in the World Club Challenge, in 2008 and 2010, with one win apiece. This will be Storm’s fourth appearance on the world stage.
Melbourne Storm GM Football, Frank Ponissi, said the team was looking forward to the challenge of being back to play for the World Club Challenge trophy.
“We are looking forward to heading to Leeds and testing ourselves against the current super league premiers,” Ponissi said.
“We value this game highly and will be looking to give ourselves the best chance to claim another World Club Challenge title, against a powerhouse club who have won five of the last six super league premierships.”
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Leeds Rhinos Chief Executive Gary Hetherington said: “We had a sell out crowd last season and the interest in this game is extremely high already. The chance to see players like Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith play at Headingley Carnegie is also an obvious attraction and I am sure the World Club Challenge will be the perfect way to kick off a massive year for the sport with the World Cup coming to England later in the year".
The Rhinos beat 2011 premiers Manly at a sell out Headingley Carnegie in 2012 and demand for tickets for next year’s match is expected to be high again.
Tickets will go on general sale at 9am (GMT) Tuesday 4 December online at www.therhinos.co.uk or through the RFL at www.rugbyleaguetickets.co.uk
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