The Exiles are coming. That is what the RFL advertising let us know in the build up to England's clash against the best of the Antipodean players who ply their trade in Super League. So, as of almost a week ago, the Exiles are here - but are they here to stay?
There was much debate after the Exiles side beat England as to whether or not it was a good concept and if it was one that was here to stay. This got me thinking of other quite short lived rugby league ideas - mainly from the summer era because I am not that old. And to be honest, I'm sure some were just not memorable enough for me at all.
Silk Cut Plate
Hull KR are the only rugby league club to have got their hands on the Silk Cut Plate, after their demolition of Hunslet in 1997 at Wembley. The Silk Cut Plate was played as a curtain raiser to the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, for the teams knocked out in the earlier rounds of the Challenge Cup Tournament.
World Club Championship
Also in 1997, this was an exceptionally brave idea. The 12 teams of the European Super League played the ten of the Australian Super League, with group stages and a convulted draw, that saw Bradford lose all six of their group games but qualify for the next round. It did bring about some memorable nights for the likes of London, Leeds, Oldham and Sheffield, who beat Canberra, Adelaide, North Queensland and Perth respectively and it also brought with it Brisbane Broncos smashing Halifax in front of just over 3,000 at Thrum Hall. It also lost loads of money.
Treize Tournoi
This tournament took the top 3 clubs in France, plus the top 2 of the First Division and champions of the Second division in England. Lancashire Lynx nearly went all the way to win it, after putting Villenueve and St Esteve to the sword in the group stage. Wakefield, Featherstone and Limoux were the other teams taking part, culminating with the final in Toulouse. 1998 was the only year this ever took place, with Lancashire Lynx losing to Villeneuve.
County of Origin
Yorkshire v Lancashire matches in the summer era lasted from 2000 until 2003, having being resurrected after the first 90 or so years of the sport's existance. Lancashire triumphed in the first three, but Yorkshire had the last laugh putting more than 50 points past Lancashire at Odsal in 2003. Somewhat lacking in the intesity of the State of Origin games down under, who knows what may have happened to these games if they were given more of a chance. I guess the War of the Roses may not be the best way for a game desperate to break out of its mainly northern confines.
Trans-Pennine Cup
This tournament was played in the Northern Ford Premiership years of Rugby League outside Super League - when the season started at Christmas time and all the teams were in one division. This tournament was a pre-cursor to the Northern Rail Cup. I had to look at Wikipedia to tell me that: "The competition had no qualification rounds; only a final was played. The finalists were the highest placed team in the Northern Ford Premiership from either side of the Pennines (Yorkshire versus Lancashire/Cumbria), at an early stage of the season". The tournament lasted three seasons and I can barely remember it.
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