Rugby Football League to consider introducing NRL’s Captain’s Challenge for Super League 2025

The captain’s challenge system has been used down under since 2020, and was also in operation during the delayed 2021 World Cup in England.

It means teams can contest a referee’s on-field decision at a stoppage in play, and are allowed one unsuccessful challenge per game.

Every Super League game now has a video referee thanks to its new broadcast agreement with Sky Sports, which would allow the potential of the captain’s challenge to be introduced into the sport in the northern hemisphere.

Phil Bentham, who returned to rugby league as the RFL’s new head of match officials earlier in March, revealed that players and coaches within the game have thrown their support behind the potential of introducing the system.

“Lots of players and lots of coaches think it’s a great idea,” the former referee said.

“We could never do it before because we didn’t feel that with four games without a video referee, it would be a fair playing field.

“If you could imagine a last-minute try in a game that’s not on TV, and that captain couldn’t challenge that call, that’s not fair.

“But we’re not in that situation anymore. It’s certainly something that we’re working on the NRL with, and to get their feel for it.

“There’s a few critics of it over there, so we don’t want to bring something in that suddenly they drop. Internationally, that would look foolish.

“We need to work with them and try to come to an agreement so the international game looks like both elite competitions.”