The 2001 World Club Challenge was contested between Super League V champions, St. Helens and 2000 NRL season premiers, the Brisbane Broncos.

St Helens had played in the previous World Club Challenge, suffering a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Storm.

The match was played in wintery conditions on the night of Friday the 26th of January at Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England before a crowd of 16,041.

The Broncos players wore black armbands in memory of the club's co-founder Paul "Porky" Morgan who had died from a heart attack the previous day.

The first try of the match was scored by the Broncos from close to the Saints' try-line when Shaun Berrigan, playing at five-eighth, burrowed over from dummy half.