The 2000 World Club Challenge was contested by 1999 NRL season premiers, the Melbourne Storm and 1999's Super League IV champions, St. Helens.

It was contested by the competition's two newest clubs: the Melbourne Storm, competing in only its second year (having finished the regular season in 3rd place); and the St George Illawarra Dragons, in their first year as a joint-venture club (having finished the regular season in 6th place), after both sides eliminated the rest of the top eight during the finals.

Anthony Sullivan, Vila Matautia and Keiron Cunningham were notable absences for St Helens through injury,[3][4] with Melbourne missing their retired former captain Glenn Lazarus, and the injured Matt Geyer, Rodney Howe and Ben Roarty.

Melbourne started strongly with halfback Brett Kimmorley sending Aaron Moule into a gap in the St Helens defence to score a try in the fifth minute.

[6] Storm forwards Danny Williams and Dane Morgan were forced to deny allegations of eye-gouging raised by Saints stand-off Tommy Martyn stemming from an incident in the 48th minute.

[3] Despite the final margin, St Helens coach Ellery Hanley claimed after the match that Melbourne were "not a better side than us at all, although the scoreline says they were.