Super League

The Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of fourteen teams, twelve from Northern England, the sport's heartland, and two from southern France. Super League began in 1996, replacing the Rugby Football League Championship First Division which had been running continuously since 1895, and switching from a winter to a summer season. The regular season runs from February to September, with each team playing 27 games; 13 home games, 13 away games, and Magic Weekend. The top six then enter play-offs leading to the Super League Grand Final which determines the champions. The Super League champions take on the champions of the Australian National Rugby League in the World Club Challenge. Twenty-five clubs have competed since the inception of the Super League since 1996: twenty from England, three from France, one from Wales and one from Canada. Five of them have won the title: St Helens (10), Leeds Rhinos (8), Wigan Warriors (7), Bradford Bulls (4) and Hull Kingston Rovers (1).