Hull KR held off a strong Brisbane Broncos fightback to win 30-24 and win the World Club Challenge for the first time in the club’s history at MKM Stadium.
With the Super League champions taking on the NRL Premier League, the favorites were the Travelers, but the England competition proved the bookmakers wrong as they have recently in this contest.
Tom Amone, Elliot Minchella and Joe Burgess gave Hull KR an incredible 18-4 lead at half-time, sending the Robins fans into chaos.
Brisbane successfully fought back with a free-flying try from Gehamat Shibasaki, but it was the English champions who took pole position with 40 minutes remaining.
However, full-back and goalkicker Arthur Mourg appeared to have injured his shoulder, so the team had to make changes to their squad, moving Jez Litten to half-back, Kyle Lawton to hooker and Mikey Lewis to full-back.
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Elliot Minchella powers over Hull KR’s second try in the World Club Challenge against Brisbane Broncos.
The Robins came on strong in the second half, with Oliver Gildart and Peta Hiku increasing their advantage and Reece Martin converting to take a 30-4 lead.
But Brisbane’s stunning turnaround began when goals from Pat Carrigan, Dean Marriner and Shibasaki made the score 30-20 with less than 15 minutes remaining.
There was a stunned silence in the stadium as the Kotoni Stags trailed the Broncos by one converted try with four minutes remaining, but the Robins managed to hold on and claim a monumental victory.
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Hull KR defeated Brisbane Broncos to win the World Club Challenge.
This means Hull KR become the fifth Super League team in history to win the World Club Challenge, and it is their third consecutive year following big wins over St Helens in 2023 and Wigan in 2024, both times when they defeated Penrith Panthers.
As a result, the Broncos continue to wait for World Club promotion, their last win coming in 1997, and they have lost three times in this competition since then.
They are the first team since Wigan Warriors in 2024 to win all four trophies. Before that it was St Helens in 2007.
Hull KR joins rugby league upper echelon as Brisbane return home empty-handed
Playing at the home of fierce rivals Hull FC, the Robins did everything they could to make the stadium feel like their own, including decorating the stands with red flags and playing the club anthem.
That created a partisan atmosphere, with Rovers being shouted at by supporters who helped fill the stadium.
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South Yorkshire band Reverend and the Makers welcome Hull KR and Brisbane Broncos to the World Club Challenge.
How did they repay the favor with their performance in the first half? They took the lead after just seven minutes when debutant Tom Amone, who was the first to react to Tyrone May’s sloppy kick, scored. Amone returned to Super League last year a few months after his NRL stay with the Canterbury Bulldogs did not go to plan. A sweet moment for him.
The Broncos had the edge in yards, but errors hurt them. Brisbane lost to St Helens in their last trip to England in 2007, and Eddie Hemmings famously quipped: “Darren Lockyer was a man after all, after a missed conversion.” Apparently, mortality also applies to Reece Walsh, as the sport’s latest megastar inexplicably dropped a high kick called to give Rovers another chance. From there, talismanic captain Elliott Minchella jumped over Jez Ritten’s crashed ball to score. After the first 13 minutes, Rovers were up 12-0.
Ten minutes later, the Robins were in dreamland, 18-0, against the shocked Broncos when the Stags fumbled in their own area and Joe Burgess took a string kick from Jez Litten for a touchdown.
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Josiah Karapani acrobatically rallied in the air to set up Gehamat Sivaski’s goal in Brisbane Broncos’ World Club Challenge game against Hull KR.
But Queenslanders have a history of comebacks. This game was not played. When they got on the scoreboard after the 30 minute mark, they fired a warning shot. Dene Marriner bounced Walsh’s cross-field kick back onto the field, and Gehamat Shibasaki grounded the ball. Reynolds was unable to convert.
Crucially, Brisbane were unable to score again before the break, with Walsh scything his way through and heading for glory, but his kick was too strong. As Brisbane looked for another point, Tom Davis, under jeers, palmed his cross-field kick into touch, an act that brought as much cheer as any try.
Brisbane started the second half strong and came close again with a goal from Shibasaki. Crucially, though, it was the Robins who took the lead, as Mariner fumbled a contested kick from Lewis and the ball fell into the hands of Oliver Gildart for the goal, repeating Wigan’s first try since 2017 when they beat Cronulla.
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Peta Hiku connects with Tyrone May Glover to extend Hull KR’s lead against Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge.
Martin converted and Rovers built a five-point lead seven minutes later when Martin converted further after Peta Hiku had taken a short kick first.
But incredibly, the match wasn’t over yet. Brisbane came from behind to win all of their finals last year, and the game ended in a tense finale for the Robins, who scored three tries in five minutes.
Captain Pat Carrigan supported Ben Talty’s break for the first over. From the kick-off return the visitors beat Rovers down the right wing and Mariner rounded Mikey Lewis to score again.
That reduced the number of overdues to 14, and within minutes it was down to 10 when Shibasaki scored his second goal off a cutout pass from Walsh. Reynolds hit the post, but joy quickly turned to anxiety.
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Brisbane Broncos close the gap on Hull KR with back-to-back goals from Dean Marriner and Patrick Carrigan.
At this point, Rovers were losing ground. Brisbane had found their groove and were challenging Rovers on almost every play. We found a way to keep them at bay by any means necessary.
It looked like they had some respite when they won a penalty. However, Lewis could not find his touch and after moving the ball from side to side, Stags took a shot. Reynolds missed the shot, but the game was down by one point with four minutes remaining.
But time is running out. Ezra Mumm couldn’t track his own kick with minutes left, and the game was over when Josiah Karapani couldn’t catch Walsh’s looping pass on the final play. The Rovers were initially relieved, but then delighted to have completed their trophy haul.
“A victory for England rugby” | “I would die for this club”
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Jez Litten said victory in the World Club Challenge was a victory for English rugby league after Hull KR defeated Brisbane Broncos.
Player of the match – Jez Litten on Sky Sports+:
“It was unbelievable. That was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of. Everybody went deep for each other. It was great to play with these guys against a team like that. We scrambled our way. It was unbelievable.”
“I’m proud to have done this in the England game. We’re always a little behind the Australians but here we’re proud. We’re playing a strong brand of rugby. It’s not just about us, it’s for English rugby as a whole.”
Mikey Lewis told Sky Sports+:
“You know, what I did (against York Knights) was a stupid thing. I let my teammates down. I told Willie that’s how our relationship is.
“I paid the price with a hefty fine and I just told the players that I wanted their trust back. What I did was stupid and I let the whole club down. That’s what I needed to do to get out of the game early and there was no better way to do that than tonight.”
“I haven’t played a lot as a full-back and I haven’t had great performances, but I’m going to do my best. I’m going to do anything for this team and this club. I’m going to die for this club. I just love everyone to shreds.”
2026 Super League – Important dates and highlights
Rugby League in Las Vegas: Saturday 28 February: Hull KR v Leeds Rhinos, 11.30pm (Sky Sports) Super League 30th Birthday: Thursday 26 March: Castleford Tigers v Bradford Bulls, 8pm (Sky Sports) Rivals Round: 3 April to 5 April Super League in Paris: Saturday 6 June: Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6:30 UK (Sky Sports) Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5 Rivals Round Reversal: July 23-July 26 Elimination Play-Offs: September 19-September 20 Play-off Semi-Finals: September 26-September 27 Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford.
Sky Sports will continue to broadcast every Super League match live this season. Exclusively live, including two matches from each round, the remaining five matches will be shown weekly on Sky Sports+.
