1976 World Club Challenge
| 1976 Unofficial World Club Challenge | ||||||||||
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| Date | 29 June 1976 | |||||||||
| Stadium | Sydney Cricket Ground | |||||||||
| Location | Moore Park, Australia | |||||||||
Royce Ayliffe 
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| Referees |
Gary Cooke 
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| Attendance | 26,856 | |||||||||
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The 1976 World Club Challenge was an unofficial trial of what would later become the World Club Challenge concept, with the 1975 NSWRFL season's premiers, Eastern Suburbs hosting the 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season's Premiership and Challenge Cup winners St. Helens. The one-off challenge match was played on the 29th of June, right in the middle of the 1976 NSWRFL season, at the Sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 26,856.
The next game of its kind would not be played until 1987.
The game was the first of its type, and was the last to be played in Australia until 1994.
The Roosters, coached by Jack Gibson and captained by Australian international forward Arthur Beetson, were the reigning Sydney premiers having won the NSWRFL Grand Finals in both 1974 and 1975.
Like the Roosters, Saints were the two time reigning English champions, having won the titles in 1974-75 and 1975-76. Saints were coached by former Great Britain captain Eric Ashton and captained by Welsh dual rugby international Kel Coslett.
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