Super League (rugby league)

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Super League (rugby league)
Countries Floria Floria
Confederation ARL
Founded 2017
First season 2017
Number of teams 1
Levels on pyramid 1
International cup(s) Rugby League World Club Challenge
Current champions Meadowedge Warriors colours.png Meadowedge Warriors
(2019)
Most championships Northcliff Vikings colours.png Northcliff Vikings
Northsilver Panthers colours.pngNorthsilver Panthers
Meadowedge Warriors colours.png Meadowedge Warriors (1 Title)
2020 Florian Super League

The Super League, referred to as the Florian Super League to avoid confusion with other similarly named competitions, is the highest level rugby league competition in Floria and is the highest level of professional rugby league in Apollonia. It is run by the Florian Rugby Football League and is contested by 14 teams with the top six teams entering the postseason playoffs. All 12 teams are based within the Confederate States of Floria. Previously, the league has had a team from Freeland. There is the use of promotion and relegation in the league with the bottom team in the league being relegated to Florian Super League 2.

Matches are played from February to September and the season culminates in the leagues' playoff final, the Florian Super League Grand Final. The teams which reach the Grand Final, qualify for the Rugby League World Club Challenge.

History

Establishment

Expansion

After the formation of the league. The organisers of the competition released a plan to expand the game to new cities domestically and abroad. They planned to expand the league to 20 teams. On November 21st, 2017, the Florian Super League committee openly addressed proposals for two clubs to be entered into the league for the 2019 season. Five franchises applied for Super League status. At the end of the month, the league's current members voted on each application and Birmingham Titans and the Southern Storm (originally to be based in Blyth but now Oldhaven) were accepted after gaining almost unanimous votes. The Wolfpack was also awarded a license but they were denied automatic promotion in a decision made in January 2018. The two other applicants, the Southern Knights and Coldley Panthers were accepted into the Semi-Professional leagues. In a very controversial decision, a last-minute bid for Super League status in 2018 from KR Viten Sharks was accepted after Northcliff Broncos were revoked a license. The Wolfpack was angry about the decision but an appeal was rejected. In the process, KR Viten Sharks became the first foreign team to play in the Florian Super League. However, the Sharks would leave to join the Micras Balkan Super League. Due to the failure of the Fastbet Cup and Fastbet Premiership, the league took control of the second tier and the new Super League 2 was launched and will kick off in 2019. The new competition allowed more new franchises into the Super League organisation. From 2021, the league will be expanded to 24 teams featuring teams from all states and territories of the Florian Republic. The expanded league will also split into two conferences of 12 teams.

Florian rugby league civil war

In late March 2018, Some Florian clubs were angry with the administration of rugby league in the country and these clubs formed the Florian National Rugby League, a breakaway organisation that was deemed illegal by the Florian government. The organisation was later shut down. The conflict had a huge effect on all aspects of the Florian game, with many previously aligned Florian National Rugby League switching to Rugby Union and lack of money invested into grassroots rugby league. The effects of the breakaway would greatly damage the professional game resulting in the league dropping in popularity and being left behind by rival competitions such as the FFL and SLF.

League resurgence (2022–)

Teams

Super League consists of 14 teams with teams based in heartland towns and cities such as Northcliff, Blackoak, Stonehall and Havenbarrow. Other teams are from Birmingham, Meadowedge, Newhedge, Newmarsh, Northsilver, Oldhaven and Westlake. The league operates a promotion and relegation system with its secondary league, Florian Super League 2. In its inaugural season in 2017, only 12 teams competed in the league. After the 2017 season, it was announced that the league would be expanding to 16 teams and therefore the four highest-placed teams in the Florian Championship were promoted. KR Viten Sharks from Freeland joined the league in 2017 effectively creating a continental competition. KR Viten Sharks however would leave after one season to join the new Micras Balkans Super League.Northcliff Broncos in 2018 alongside the Birmingham Titans, Oldhaven Wolfpack and Southern Storm were promoted to the league. In 2021 the league proposed expansion to Longsight and other new major cities in Floria but plans were suspended after a rapid drop in popularity in the sport.

Current Clubs

Super League clubs
Colours Club Established Location Stadium Capacity*
Birmingham Titans colours.png Birmingham Titans 2017 Birmingham Eastpak Stadium 34,000
Blackoak Giants colours.png Blackoak Giants 2017 Blackoak City of Blackoak Stadium 55,097
Dragonmoor Devils colours.png Dragonmoor Devils 2017 Dragonmoor Dragonmoor City Stadium 12,000
Dragonmoor Dragons colours.png Dragonmoor Dragons 2017 Dragonmoor Dragonmoor City Stadium 12,000
Havenbarrow Wolves colours.png Havenbarrow Wolves 2017 Havenbarrow Wolves Park 15,200
Meadowedge Rabbitohs colours.png Meadowedge Rabbitohs 2017 Meadowedge Meadowedge Stadium 45,500
Meadowedge Warriors colours.png Meadowedge Warriors 2017 Meadowedge Meadowedge Stadium 45,500
Newmarsh Olympic colours.png Newmarsh Olympic 2017 Newmarsh Olympic Stadium 60,000
Newmarsh Saints colours.png Newmarsh Saints 2017 Newmarsh Saints Road 23,000
Northsilver Panthers colours.png Northsilver Panthers 2017 Northsilver Panthers Arena 25,586
Oldhaven Wolfpack colours.png Oldhaven Wolfpack 2017 Oldhaven The Den 9,000
Northcliff Tigers colours.png Northcliff Tigers 2017 Northcliff Northcliff Sports Complex 20,000
Northcliff Roosters colours.png Northcliff Roosters 2017 Northcliff Various
Stonehall Bears colours.png Stonehall Rhinos 2017 Stonehall Emerald Stadium 21,500
Southern Storm colours.png Southern Storm 2017 Oldhaven Thunder Park 74,000
Westlake Wildcats colours.png Westlake Wildcats 2017 Westlake Westlake Stadium 60,292
Current Champions

Season Structure

Pre season

Preseason begins in January and ends in early February. In this time clubs play friendlies against other teams in Floria. 1===Regular Season=== Rugby League is a summer sport in Floria and the regular season starts late March following a brief series of friendlies. 14 teams currently compete in the competition. A round of regular season matches is played every weekend for 28 weeks, usually until the end of September. Matches are played on Thursday and Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Teams receive two competition points for a win. Teams on the table are ranked by competition points, then match points differential (for and against) and points percentage are used to separate teams with equal competition points. At the end of the regular season, the highest-ranked club after 28 rounds wins the Minor Premiership. The six highest-ranked clubs at the end of the regular season advance to the postseason playoffs.

The league adopts the golden point rule during the regular season. Therefore, matches ending in draws after regulation time advance to extra time until a winner is decided by scoring a point.

Playoffs

The six highest placed teams at the end of the regular season compete in the Playoffs series. The system consists of a number of games between the top six teams over four weeks in September, until only two teams remain. These two teams then contest the Grand Final, which is usually played on the first Sunday of October.

Super League Grand Final

The Florian Super League Grand Final determines the season's overall champions and is one of the most popular sporting events in Floria. The Grand Final is always played on a Sunday and is televised on TV networks such as Red Sports, RLM24 and other TV channels. The game has an opening ceremony featuring entertainment and the singing of the national anthem as well as an invitational nines game. At the conclusion of the Grand Final, there is a presentation ceremony where the winning team are awarded champion medals and then the man of the match is given the Edwin Farrar Medal.

League Champions

Season Grand Finals Minor Premiership
Finished first in Regular Season
Champions Score Runners-up
2017 Northcliff Roosters Northcliff Roosters colours.png 34–18 Northsilver Panthers colours.png Northsilver Panthers Northcliff Roosters colours.png Northcliff Roosters
2018 Northsilver Panthers Northsilver Panthers colours.png 10–8 Stonehall Rhinos colours.png Stonehall Rhinos Northsilver Panthers colours.png Northsilver Panthers
2019 Meadowedge Warriors Meadowedge Warriors colours.png 24–18 Northcliff Roosters colours.png Northcliff Roosters Meadowedge Warriors colours.png Meadowedge Warriors

Media Coverage

Country TV Broadcasters Radio Broadcasters
Craitland Craitland VVision none
Floria Floria
Etourney Etourney
FBC Sport
Red Sports
FBC Sports Radio
Senya Senya Senya TV Sport none
Mercury Mercury RLM24 none
Worldwide Florian Super League Live Pass*

In the Confederate States of Floria , the Super League (rugby league) has deals with two networks, Red Sports and FBC Sport. Collectively, these contracts cover every regular season and postseason game. The Florian Super League is available to the rest of Micras via an official Livestream channel. Matches are also broadcasted in Mercury, Craitland and Senya.

Detailed Florian coverage