| Super League XXVI | |
|---|---|
| League | Super League |
| Duration | 25 rounds |
| Teams | 12 |
| Matches played | 139 |
| Points scored | 5,931 |
| Highest attendance | 16,319 Wigan Warriors St Helens (20 August) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,000[A]
|
| Broadcast partners | |
| 2021 season | |
| Champions | St Helens 9th Super League title 16th British title |
| League Leaders Shield | Catalans Dragons |
| Runners-up | Catalans Dragons |
| Biggest home win | Catalans Dragons 64–0 Leigh Centurions (30 August) |
| Biggest away win | Castleford Tigers 6–60 Leeds Rhinos (28 May) |
| Man of Steel |  Sam Tomkins |
| Top point-scorer(s) |
|
| Top try-scorer(s) |
|
| Promotion and relegation | |
| Promoted from Championship | Toulouse Olympique |
| Relegated to Championship | Leigh Centurions |
Super League XXVI, known as the 2021 Betfred Super League XXVI for sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of the Super League and 127th season of rugby league in Great Britain.
The 2021 season was originally scheduled to begin on 11 March 2021, however, on 14 January 2021, it was announced that all clubs had agreed to push the start date back by two weeks, to increase the chances of fans being able to attend matches.[1]
St Helens were the reigning champions going into Super League XXVI, after successfully retaining their title against Wigan Warriors, in the Grand Final.
Super League XXVI also saw the return of the Magic Weekend, which took place at St James' Park in Newcastle, after it was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
Upon the expulsion of Toronto Wolfpack the previous season, a vacancy was available for the 2021 season. Six eligible Championship clubs; Leigh Centurions, Bradford Bulls, York City Knights, London Broncos, Featherstone Rovers, and Toulouse Olympique all applied, with Leigh being promoted following a unanimous decision by an independent panel.[3]
Catalans Dragons won the League Leaders Shield for the first time in the club's history and also became the first non English team to reach their first ever Grand Final.[4]
St Helens won their 3rd Grand Final in a row, (9th title overall), after narrowly beating Catalans Dragons 12-10 at Old Trafford on 9 October 2021.
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- ^ "2021 Season Start Date". rugby-league.com. 14 January 2021.
- ^ "2021 Betfred Super League Season to start 11 March". Betfred Super League. 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- ^ "Leigh Centurions To Play In Super League In 2021". superleague.co.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "Catalans Dragons become first non English team to reach Grand Final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 September 2021.