World Club Challenge: How to watch St Helens’ clash with Penrith Panthers and NRL Pre-Season Challenge games on Sky | Rugby League News

The revived World Club Challenge sees St Helens head to Australia to take on NRL champions Penrith Panthers on February 18 – watch Saints face the Panthers along with the rest of NRL Pre-Season Challenge and All Stars matches live on Sky Sports from February 9

Super League champions St Helens take on Australian premiers Penrith Panthers in this year’s World Club Challenge, live on Sky Sports

St Helens’ World Club Challenge showdown with Penrith Panthers is among the 20 NRL pre-season fixtures being shown live on Sky Sports ahead of the 2023 season.

Saints, who clinched an unprecedented fourth-straight Betfred Super League Grand Final triumph with a 24-12 victory over Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford last October, head to Australia to take on the back-to-back NRL champions on Saturday, February 11.

It is the first time the World Club Challenge has been played since 2020 when St Helens were beaten 20-12 by Sydney Roosters at Totally Wicked Stadium and will see them attempt to claim their first piece of silverware under new head coach Paul Wellens.

“Both ourselves and Penrith have had unrivalled success in recent years, and we are relishing the opportunity to go over to Australia and test ourselves against what is undoubtedly a great team,” Wellens said.

“We are obviously motivated by achieving further success and this gives us as a club an early opportunity to do exactly that in 2023, we aim to represent ourselves, the town of St Helens and the Super League competition in the best possible manner.”

Penrith are captained by Australia international and Rugby League World Cup winner Nathan Cleary, while Jarome Luai, Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o – all of whom starred in Samoa’s run to the World Cup final last November – all feature for them, too.

This year’s World Club Challenge at the Panthers’ BlueBet Stadium will kick off at 7am UK time and be shown live on Sky Sports Arena. The hosts were winners of the event in 1991 and 2004, while Saints were triumphant in 2001 and 2007.

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Relive how St Helens became the first Super League side to win a record four Grand Finals in a row

Before that, the Super League kings face another NRL side in St George Illawarra Dragons as part of the NRL Pre-Season Challenge and that match will be shown live on Sky Sports Arena as well on Saturday, February 11, kicking off at 9am.

Sky Sports‘ coverage of the new-look NRL Pre-Season Challenge ahead of the new season down under begins on Thursday, February 9 when New Zealand Warriors take on Wests Tigers.

Along with those trial matches and the World Club Challenge, Sky Sports will again be showing the women’s and men’s All Star games between the Indigenous and Maori sides on Saturday, February 11, which are being held in New Zealand for the first time this year.

The NRL, which this year features Redcliffe-based Dolphins becoming the 17th team to join the competition, gets under way on March 1 and concludes with the Grand Final on Sunday, October 1.

Sky Sports will be broadcasting fixtures from every round throughout the regular season and play-offs along with the Grand Final, plus the three State of Origin matches between New South Wales and Queensland on May 31, June 21 and July 12.

NRL Pre-Season Challenge and All Stars fixtures

Thursday, February 9: New Zealand Warriors vs Wests Tigers (7am).

Friday, February 10: Newcastle Knights vs Cronulla Sharks (7am), South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Manly Sea Eagles (9am).

Saturday, February 11: Aotearoa NZ Maori Wahine Toa All Stars vs Australian Indigenous Women’s All Stars (2.30am), Aotearoa NZ Maori Tane All Stars vs Australian Indigenous Men’s All Stars (4.40am), Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers (7am), St George Illawarra Dragons vs St Helens (9am).

Sunday, February 12: Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters (Sky Sports Mix, 2.30am), Canberra Raiders vs Canterbury Bulldogs (Sky Sports Mix, 4.30am), North Queensland Cowboys vs Dolphins (7am), Brisbane Broncos vs Gold Coast Titans (9am).

Friday, February 17: Charity Shield – St George Illawarra Dragons vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (4.30am), Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels (6.55am), Sydney Roosters vs Manly Sea Eagles (9am).

Saturday, February 18: Wests Tigers vs Canberra Raiders (Sky Sports Mix, 3.55am), WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE – PENRITH PANTHERS VS ST HELENS (7am), Brisbane Broncos vs North Queensland Cowboys (9.10am).

Sunday, February 19: New Zealand Warriors vs Melbourne Storm (Sky Sports Mix, 1.50am), Canterbury Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks (6am), Dolphins vs Canberra Raiders (8.05am).

* All matches on Sky Sports Arena unless stated

Sky Sports is the home of all three Super League Grand Finals in 2023. The Men’s Grand Final, the Women’s Grand Final and the Wheelchair Grand Final will all be live on Sky Sports next season.

The new Super League season starts on Thursday, February 16, with Sky Sports showing 66 live matches this year.