Rugby League: Full house for St Helens' World Club Series clash with South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Tuesday 17 February 2015 10:52, UK
St Helens have sold out their new home Langtree Park, three weeks ahead of their meeting with NRL Champions South Sydney Rabbitohs in the World Club Series finale.
The match, at the new 18,000-capacity stadium, takes place on February 22 as Saints look to win the prestigious trophy for a third time.
St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus said: "It's no exaggeration to say that this World Club Final represents the biggest day in the proud history of both the club and the town of St Helens. Although we have won it twice, this the first time we've participated in it on our own turf.
“We aim to build a history at our new home of Langtree Park comparable with that of our 120 years at Knowsley Road. The evening of February 22 will be a historic one indeed in our new life.
“It's very clear also that the fans are enormously excited about the new concept of the World Club Series, where the cream of Super League clashes full on with the NRL. It's quite clear that this represents the ideal platform upon which to build a credible and successful international club game.
“It represents the expansion of the already established World Club Challenge template and can readily be developed into a competition of real international appeal and with consequent commercial value.
“It is certainly capable of garnering much needed global interest in our club game and must be supported at all levels to that end. It is the first, and very credible, step in what our game has been crying out for far too long.”
The competition is an expanded form of the World Club Challenge which, until 2014, was a single match played at the beginning of each year. Sydney Rabbitohs are the current champions, having defeated Wigan 36–14 last year.
St Helens' two previous victories came in 2001 and 2007, both times against the Brisbane Broncos when the matches were played at Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium.
