Club Call
Club Call is a feature of Super League's play-off system, in which the highest ranked team from the regular season league table to win a match in the first week of the play-offs is able to select their opponents for their next game in Week Three.[1][2][3] This selection opportunity is only possible to achieve for teams finishing in the top three during the regular season.[3]
Club Call was introduced at the same time a top eight play-off system replaced the previous top six system, in the Super League XIV season in 2009.[1][4] The new eight team structure was developed by the RFL and, in their words, was "not a direct copy of other eight team formats operating in other sporting competitions", making it unique.[1]
The RFL's Chief Executive Nigel Wood stated that he believed the changes to show rugby league as "innovative and progressive" and added that the "new feature will also create more opportunities for broadcasters and the media to generate exciting coverage".[4] Leeds Rhinos Chief Executive Gary Hetherington praised the changes as reminiscent of the sport's innovation since 1895, noting that the new system rewards those teams that finish higher in the table.[4] Huddersfield Giants Managing Director Richard Thewlis commented: "This is another ground breaking move from our sport which has our full backing. It is an innovative move that will bring high class, pressurised play-off rugby league to more teams which can only help drive development of players and the competition".[4]
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "New top eight play-off format for engage Super League". Rugby Football League. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. http://www.webcitation.org/61ztyX5P0. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ↑ "Super League play-offs overhauled". BBC. 2008-11-30. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. http://www.webcitation.org/61zvGnljs. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "All to play for as Super League gears up for Club Call". Super League. 2009-09-09. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. http://www.webcitation.org/61zvMhqfu. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Play-offs". Super League. Archived from the original on 2010-02-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20100205090223/http://www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=360. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
