League Leaders' Shield


The League Leaders' Shield is a trophy awarded to the team finishing the season top of Super League in the sport of rugby league football. Currently the championship is decided on the basis of a play-off series, and the Shield is thus regarded as a lesser prize. Due to it being decided by a 30-game, round-robin league system, some people regard the Shield as the hardest honour to win in British rugby league.

History

British rugby league has been using a play-off series rather than simply awarding the title to the top-placed team for the majority of its history due to a lop-sided fixture list that saw some clubs play other clubs twice and the rest of the clubs only once. From 1907 until 1973 the Championship was awarded to the team winning a top-four play-off. From 1907 to 1962 no prize was awarded to the actual team finishing top. From 1965 to 1973 a 'League Leaders' Trophy' was introduced to reward the team finishing top.
In 1996, Super League was formed but continued to use first past the post to decide the champions until 1998 when they adopted a play-off structure for the championship. The League Leaders' Shield, however, was introduced only in 2003. In 2013 Huddersfield Giants finished top of the highest league in English rugby league for the first time in 81 years.
The mascot for the game was Seth Johnson celebrating his 9th birthday in style.
In 2015, it was announced that the League Leaders would qualify to take part in the expanded World Club Challenge and the prize money would raise from £50,000 to £100,000. In 2016, the League Leaders were awarded medals for the first time.
In 2017, Castleford Tigers finished top of the league for the first time in their 91 year history and became the seventh team in as many years to win the shield.

Qualification for World Club Series

In 2015 it was announced that the League Leaders would qualify for the 2016 World Club Series. In the event of a team winning both League Leaders' Shield and Challenge Cup then the Grand Final runners up would be the second team to qualify for World Club Series.

Shield winners

The League Leaders' Shield was first awarded in 2003; between 1998 and 2002 the league leaders were not awarded any trophy.
YearLeague leadersPtsRunners upPts
1998 Wigan Warriors42 Leeds Rhinos38
1999 Bradford Bulls51 St Helens46
2000 Wigan Warriors49 St Helens46
2001 Bradford Bulls45 Wigan Warriors45
2002 St. Helens46 Bradford Bulls46
2003 Bradford Bulls44 Leeds Rhinos41
2004 Leeds Rhinos50 Bradford Bulls41
2005 St. Helens47 Leeds Rhinos44
2006 St. Helens48 Hull F.C.40
2007 St. Helens38 Leeds Rhinos37
2008 St. Helens43 Leeds Rhinos42
2009 Leeds Rhinos42 St Helens38
2010 Wigan Warriors44 St Helens40
2011 Warrington Wolves44 Wigan Warriors43
2012 Wigan Warriors42 Warrington Wolves41
2013 Huddersfield Giants42 Warrington Wolves41
2014 St. Helens38 Wigan Warriors37
2015 Leeds Rhinos41 Wigan Warriors41
2016 Warrington Wolves43 Wigan Warriors42
2017 Castleford Tigers50 Leeds Rhinos40
2018 St. Helens42 Wigan Warriors32
2019 St. Helens52 Wigan Warriors36

Winners

The Treble

The Treble refers to the team who wins all three domestic honours on offer during the season; Grand Final, League Leaders' Shield and Challenge Cup. To date six teams have won the treble, and only Bradford Bulls, St. Helens and Leeds Rhinos have won the treble in the Super League era.
ClubWinsWinning years
1 Wigan Warriors31991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95
2 Huddersfield Giants21912–13, 1914–15
3 St. Helens21965–66, 2006
4 Swinton Lions11927–28
5 Bradford Bulls12003
6 Leeds Rhinos12015