Over the years Rugby has taken on many different forms and changed from country to country. The one thing that has maintained the same is the fans and the competition. In 1996 the Super League was formed with a large donation by the BSkyB. Part of the deal involved the rugby league switching from a winter sport to a summer sport. Now the British season is played the same time as the Australian, and New Zealand seasons from March to October with the international tournaments played in November.
The Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football competition in Europe. There are fourteen teams in the league and thirteen are from the United Kingdom and the fourteenth is from France. The Super League has two trophies to be won by competing in the Super League. The Wigan Warriors are current champions of both the leaders shield and the super league grand final in 2010. The league’s season consists of 27 games over 27 rounds starting in February and ending in September. At the end of the season the top eight teams in the League play in the play-offs which end with the Grand Final.
2009 was the first time in history of the Super League games to be played in five different countries in one season. The season was played in England, Wales, Scotland, France, and Spain. Each season a Super League Dream Team is named from the players in the league. The thirteen best players of the season are voted for by the members of the sports press. They are named to play in their prospective positions.
The Super League also has an award for the best player. They call it the Man of Steel Award for the best player of the season from the Super League. The first award for the Man of Steel Award was given in 1977 and has been carried on through all the changes in the years. The one thing that has never changed in all the years that rugby has been developed and changed seasons it the amount of fans. The group of loyal people who follow the players and the teams never seems to slow.
