League Leaders' Shield
 Wigan player Jake Bibby holding the League Leaders' Shield and wearing the associated medal, 2020 | |
| Country |  England France |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Super League |
| History | |
| First award | 2003 |
| Most wins |  St. Helens(8 titles) |
| Most recent | 2023 Wigan Warriors(4th title) |
The League Leaders' Shield[1] is a trophy awarded to the team finishing the season top of Super League in the sport of rugby league football.
The trophy was first awarded in 2003 in recognition of the regular season achievement. Due to the presence of playoff in Super League, teams winning the shield are not season champions.
History[edit]
From 1907 until 1973 the Championship was awarded to the team winning a top-four play-off (excluding the 2 seasons 1962–63 and 1963–64, when the championship was awarded to the top-placed team). From 1907 to 1962 no prize was awarded to the 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 the league to decide the champions until 1998, when they adopted a play-off structure for the championship.
The League Leaders' Shield was first awarded in 2003. Between 1998 and 2002 the league leaders were not awarded a trophy. In 1996 and 1997 the League Leaders were declared champions as the Grand Final was not introduced until 1998.
From 2015 to 2017, League Leaders' Shield winners would participate in the short lived World Club Series.
2015 also saw the prize money inecrease from £50,000 to £100,000.
In 2016, the League Leaders were awarded medals for the first time.
Shield winners[edit]
| Year | League leaders | Pts | Runners up | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 |  Bradford Bulls
|
44 |  Leeds Rhinos
|
41 |
| 2004 | Leeds Rhinos
|
50 | Bradford Bulls
|
41 |
| 2005 | St. Helens
|
47 | Leeds Rhinos
|
44 |
| 2006 | St. Helens
|
48 |  Hull F.C.
|
40 |
| 2007 | St. Helens
|
38 | Leeds Rhinos
|
37 |
| 2008 | St. Helens
|
43 | Leeds Rhinos
|
42 |
| 2009 | Leeds Rhinos
|
42 | St Helens
|
38 |
| 2010 | Wigan Warriors
|
44 | St Helens
|
40 |
| 2011 |  Warrington Wolves
|
44 | Wigan Warriors
|
43 |
| 2012 | Wigan Warriors
|
42 | Warrington Wolves
|
41 |
| 2013 |  Huddersfield Giants
|
42 | Warrington Wolves
|
41 |
| 2014 | St. Helens
|
38 | Wigan Warriors
|
37 |
| 2015 | Leeds Rhinos
|
41 | Wigan Warriors
|
41 |
| 2016 | Warrington Wolves
|
43 | Wigan Warriors
|
42 |
| 2017 |  Castleford Tigers
|
50 | Leeds Rhinos
|
40 |
| 2018 | St. Helens
|
42 | Wigan Warriors
|
32 |
| 2019 | St. Helens
|
52 | Wigan Warriors
|
36 |
| 2020 | Wigan Warriors
|
76.47a | St. Helens
|
70.59a |
| 2021 |  Catalans Dragons
|
82.61a | St. Helens
|
76.19a |
| 2022 | St. Helens
|
42 | Wigan Warriors
|
38 |
| 2023 | Wigan Warriors
|
40 | Catalans Dragons
|
40 |
- a: Shield winners decided by win percentage rather than points
Winners[edit]
| Club | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| St. Helens |
8 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022 |
| Wigan Warriors |
4 | 2010, 2012, 2020, 2023 |
| Leeds Rhinos |
3 | 2004, 2009, 2015 |
| Warrington Wolves |
2 | 2011, 2016 |
| Bradford Bulls |
1 | 2003 |
| Huddersfield Giants |
1 | 2013 |
| Castleford Tigers |
1 | 2017 |
| Catalans Dragons |
1 | 2021 |
The Treble[edit]
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.
Note: Includes teams prior to the formal awarding of a league leaders' shield.
| Club | Wins | Winning years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wigan Warriors |
3 | 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95 |
| 2 | Huddersfield Giants |
2 | 1912–13, 1914–15 |
| 3 | St. Helens |
2 | 1965–66, 2006 |
| 4 |  Swinton Lions |
1 | 1927–28 |
| 5 | Bradford Bulls |
1 | 2003 |
| 6 | Leeds Rhinos |
1 | 2015 |
The Quadruple[edit]
The Quadruple (not an official name) refers to winning the Super League, League Leaders' Shield, Challenge Cup, and World Club Challenge in one season.
Note: Includes teams prior to the formal awarding of a league leaders' shield.
Note: Since the switch to summer rugby, the Word Club Challenge can only be won the season after the treble.
| Club | Wins | Winning years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wigan |
1 | 1994–95 |
| 2 | Bradford |
1 | 2003–04 |
| 3 | St Helens |
1 | 2006–07 |
See also[edit]
- List of British rugby league champions
- List of British rugby league league leaders
- Championship Leaders' Shield
- Super League Grand Final
- Minor premiership - Australian equivalent
References[edit]
- ^ Wilson, Andy (July 16, 2009). "Battle for Super League play-offs can pull in the fans". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2010.