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The 2009 Super League season (known as the Engage Super League XIV for sponsorship reasons) is the fourteenth season of rugby league since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the Minor Premiership over 27 rounds (including the Magic Weekend at Murrayfield Stadium) after which, the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the Super League Trophy. The previous Top six play-offs are extended to eight teams. Salford City Reds and Crusaders join the twelve teams from Super League XIII, following the implementation of a licensing system.〔 〕 Additionally, it was the Crusaders' first ever Super League season. The Catalans Dragons played at least one game in Barcelona, Spain, to try to expand their fan base in Catalonia region. The season officially kicked off on 6 February, at 20:00 GMT, with a Leeds Rhinos defeat of the Celtic Crusaders. It came to a conclusion with Leeds Rhinos beating St. Helens in the Super League Grand Final on 10 October. All clubs also participated in the 2009 Challenge Cup tournament. ==Teams== Super League XIV saw the introduction of a licensed Super League. Under this new system, promotion and relegation between Super League and National League One was abolished, and 14 teams were granted licenses subject to certain criteria. All twelve teams from Super League XIII were given places, as well as former Super League team Salford City Reds and Crusaders, for whom it was their début season in top-flight European rugby league. Geographically, the vast majority of teams in Super League are based in the north of England, four teams – Warrington, St Helens, Salford and Wigan – to the west of the Pennines in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, and seven teams to the east in Yorkshire – Huddersfield, Bradford, Wakefield, Leeds, Castleford, Hull and Hull KR. Catalans Dragons are the only team outside of the United Kingdom, Crusaders are the only team in Wales, and Harlequins are the only team to be based in a capital city (London). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Super League XIV」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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