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NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo insists next year’s World Club Challenge is not officially ‘dead and buried’ but it is unlikely to played. However, he has also revealed that work is underway to ensure the one-off contest between the winners of the NRL and Super League has a home in the calendar in the coming years.

Wigan Warriors had hoped to have the chance t0 defend their World Club Challenge crown next season against the Australian premiers Penrith Panthers, who they beat at the Brick Community Stadium to win the competition earlier this year. However, hopes of the game being played have been complicated by rugby league’s takeover of Las Vegas with both Wigan and Penrith due to travel to the States to play a game at the Allegiant Stadium on March 1.

The travel and the fact that a host of players will be returning late to pre-season due to international commitments ensures Penrith are unable to play the game at the start of the campaign, as it would be ordinarily. As such, while Abdo hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of the match taking place, hopes are slim to say the least.

But, it seems there is an commitment to making the contest work down the line with Abdo working with Super League to look at 2026 and beyond.

“At this stage there aren’t any plans to play the World Club Challenge next year,” Abdo told Sky Sports Radio, via Yahoo Sport.

“We’ve looked at a number of different ways in which it might work (but) Penrith made their intentions clear earlier on in the piece. It’s not definitely dead and buried but it’s certainly going to be very challenging to play at the start of next year.

“From a player well-being perspective – and the way the season is with both competition winners featuring in Vegas – it’s probably not going to happen. Now we’re turning our attention to working with Super League and what it looks like in 2026 and the possibilities of what we could do in ’26 in relation to ’25 as well. We’re looking innovatively at what other options are available potentially in later years.”



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Talk is cheap, but of course a firmed-up itinerary would be nice.

The NRL comp generally finishes a week before ours, I suspect the Aussies would prefer a trip over here than it being played on home soil, so they could schedule the game the week after our final, they would have two weeks to get here and settle in, we would be game ready and then the players who won the GF's would be involved in the WCC, rather than what is often a new set of players in the following year.

WarriorWinger wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 10:44 am The NRL comp generally finishes a week before ours, I suspect the Aussies would prefer a trip over here than it being played on home soil, so they could schedule the game the week after our final, they would have two weeks to get here and settle in, we would be game ready and then the players who won the GF's would be involved in the WCC, rather than what is often a new set of players in the following year.

I’ve always said the same that it should be played after the season end not at the start of a new season as you say new players.

It won't be played after the grand finals because it would start to detract from the importance of those matches and make the WCC seem like the most important game. I wouldn't mind that, but the two comps would not like it.

Also it would impact the window for international games (which the Aussies don't seem to care about much so maybe that's not a big thing).

Mike wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 1:19 pm It won't be played after the grand finals because it would start to detract from the importance of those matches and make the WCC seem like the most important game. I wouldn't mind that, but the two comps would not like it.

Also it would impact the window for international games (which the Aussies don't seem to care about much so maybe that's not a big thing).

I don't think it would detract from the GF's as they are domestic based comps, this is more of an international comp and the international calendar is usually a couple of weeks after the end of the season, so no real impact, it's not like the whole Wigan team are in the international squad

Issue with playing a week after our GF and two weeks after the Aussie GF would be hardly any time for supporters to travel to Aus/UK/ Dubai etc

I'm ok with playing the WCC in 2025 if they continue in the direction it appears they are heading.
If they can build the WCC into an overall International calendar future fixtures then that is surely the way to go.