2019 fixtures announced

[josie andrews]

2019 fixtures announced

Wigan begin title defence with trip to rivals St Helens

Warriors face Leeds Rhinos in first home fixture of the season

Wigan Warriors will launch their defence of the Betfred Super League title away to fierce rivals St Helens in a Thursday night blockbuster opening to the 2019 season on Thursday 31st January.

In what promises to be an exciting start to the 2019 season, Wigan will host 2017 champions Leeds Rhinos on Friday 8th February in round 2 in the first home fixture at the DW Stadium.

The following week Wigan take on the 2018 NRL Champions Sydney Roosters on home turf in the World Club Challenge on Sunday 17th February (KO 7pm), before hosting Hull FC a week later on Sunday 24th February (KO 3pm).

A repeat of the 2018 Grand Final will take place on Friday 15th March as Wigan travel to the Halliwell Jones Stadium to face Warrington Wolves. The Warriors will face St Helens again, this time on home territory at the DW Stadium, on their traditional Good Friday date, which this year falls on 19th April.

Wigan’s away trip to Catalans will be on Saturday 18th May, with the venue for the game still to be confirmed for the reigning Challenge Cup holders as discussions to play the game at Barcelona FC’s Camp Nou stadium still ongoing.

The Dacia Magic Weekend will be played on the second Bank Holiday weekend on May 25th/26th (Round 16) with fixtures for the festival to be confirmed next week

Wigan will bring the Betfred Super League season to a close with a home tie versus 2018 semi-final opponents Castleford Tigers on Friday 13th September.

Away from the Betfred Super League, Wigan’s first opportunity to progress in the 2019 Challenge Cup will be on Friday 10th May.

Wigan Warriors’s™ Executive Director, Kris Radlinski: “The new season seems like a long way off as we sit here at the start of November but as we know the season comes around pretty quickly.

“It is exciting to see the Betfred Super League fixture list come out because it sharpens the mind and makes it feel a little bit closer. We are looking forward to having a good offseason with the players and our new-look coaching set-up and hopefully hit the ground running at the start of the season as we look to defend our Super League title.

“Derby games are always special occasions, so facing St Helens on the opening day of the season is a great way to mark the beginning of the new campaign in what is shaping up to be an exciting new-era for the competition.

To then host Leeds Rhinos and David Furner at the DW Stadium for opening home game and then welcome another big club, Hull FC, the week after the World Club Challenge against Sydney Roosters means we have some mouth-watering games to look forward to in the opening weeks of the season. If you’re a supporter, it is an absolutely fantastic block of games in the space of a month.”

On Wigan’s proposed game against Catalans in Barcelona at the Camp Nou that has yet to be confirmed, Radlinski believes an announcement on the venue for the game will be imminent from the Dragons and Super League: “The concept of playing one of our away Betfred Super League matches at Barcelona’s Camp Nou is an attractive one for us in many ways and one that we are close to agreeing with all parties.

“We have been in constant contact with the Catalans Dragons and Super League, and on the whole, we are still of the opinion that the concept of facing the Dragons in the Catalonian capital at one of the world’s most iconic and recognisable stadiums is one we would want to be involved with. The idea correlates with our own ambition of showing an innovative approach to grow the profile of rugby league and the feedback from our fans regarding the Barcelona fixture has been overwhelmingly positive. Hopefully we’ll be able to provide more information on the game in the immediate future.”

Each team will play 29 fixtures, 14 at home and 14 away, plus the Magic round, meaning they play seven of the other 11 teams three times, and the other four twice.

That fixture pattern has been determined by the teams’ finishing positions in 2018.

Old Trafford will stage the 22nd Grand Final on Saturday October 12, the culmination of a return to the Top Five Play-Offs which produced the original Grand Final in 1998 when Jason Robinson’s famous try set up Wigan’s 10-4 win against Leeds.

That means the winners of the League Leaders™ Shield could take a direct passage to Old Trafford with victory in a single home match in the second round of the Play-Offs whereas the team finishing fifth would have to win three away matches to make the Grand Final.

Robert Elstone, the chief executive of Super League Europe said, “The 2019 season will mark a change of direction for the Super League, and the start of exciting new beginnings.

“We want our fans to be really excited about that first weekend and how better to do that thank with a Saints-Wigan derby, pitting the champions against their local rivals who were also last year’s League Leaders? And then to follow it up with a Hull derby?

“We’™re equally excited about the extra Saturday games which our broadcast partners at Sky Sports are showing in the early stages of the season, allowing the drama of the opening round of matches to unfold throughout the weekend.

“Throw in the World Club Challenge between Wigan Warriors and the Sydney Roosters, the unique appeal and challenge of Super League’s Easter weekend and of course the season builds to a real climax with the battle for places in the Top Five Play-Offs, building to the Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.”

The 2019 fixture list in full:

Round 1: Thurs 31 Jan | St Helens (A) | Totally Wicked Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 2: Fri 8 Feb | Leeds Rhinos (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm

WCC: Sun 17 Feb | Sydney Roosters (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7pm

Round 3: Sun 24 Feb | Hull FC (H) | KO 3pm
Round 4: Sund 3 Mar | London Broncos (A) | Ealing Trailfinders | KO 3pm
Round 5: Fri 8 Mar | Huddersfield Giants (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 6: Fri 15 Mar | Warrington Wolves (A) | Haliwell Jones Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 7: Sun 24 Mar | Salford Red Devils (A) | AJ Bell Stadium | KO 3pm
Round 8: Sun 31 Mar | Catalans Dragons (H) | DW Stadium | KO 3pm
Round 9: Fri 5 Apr | Castleford Tigers (A) | Mend a Hose Jungle | KO 7:45pm
Round 10: Fri 12 Apr | Wakefield Trinity (A) | Beaumont Legal Stadium | KO 7:45pm

Round 11: Fri 19 Apr | St Helens (H) | DW Stadium | KO TBC

Round 12: Mon 22nd Apr | Salford Red Devils (A) | AJ Bell Stadium | KO TBC
Round 13: Sat 27 Apr | Castleford Tigers (H) | DW Stadium | KO 5pm
Round 14: Thurs 2 May | London Broncos (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm

Challenge Cup: Fri 10 May | TBC

Round 15: Sat 18 May | Catalans Dragons (A) | TBC | TBC

Round 16: Sat/Sun 25/26 May | Magic Weekend | TBC | TBC

Challenge Cup Fri 31 May | TBC

Round 17: Sun 9 Jun | Hull KR (A) | KCOM Craven Park | KO 3pm
Round 18: Fri 14 Jun | Leeds Rhinos (A) | Headingley | KO 7:45pm
Round 19: Fri 21 Jun | Huddersfield Giants (A) | John Smiths Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 20: Fri 28 Jun | Salford Red Devils (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 21: Fri 5 Jul | Hull KR (H) | DW Stadium | 7:45pm
Round 22: Fri 12 Jul | St Helens (A) | Totally Wicked Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 23 Thurs 18 Jul | Wakefield trinity (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm

Challenge Cup: Fri 26 Jul | TBC

Round 24: Sat 3 Aug | Hull FC (A) | KCOM Craven Park | KO 5pm
Round 25: Fri 9 Aug | Hull KR (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 26: Fri 16 Aug | Warrington Wolves (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm

Challenge Cup Final: Sat 24 Aug |

Round 27: Sun 1 Sep | Wakefield Trinity (A) | Beaumont Legal Stadium | KO 3pm
Round 28: Fri 6 Sep | Catalans Dragons (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm
Round 29: 13 Sep | Castleford Tigers (H) | DW Stadium | KO 7:45pm

GF Round 1: Fr 20 Sep | TBC
GF Round 2: Fri 27 Sep | TBC
GF Round 3: Fri 4 Oct | TBC
Grand Final: Sat 12 Oct | TBC
All fixtures (dates, times and venues) are subject to change

Don’t miss a minute of the 2019 Season at the DW, grab a season ticket today! For more information, simply click HERE.

https://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2018 ... 8Vefv3e.99

[cumbria_warrior]

I noticed on total rugby website that they had magic weekend as 1/2 June? Surely a mistake ?

[josie andrews]

I noticed on total rugby website that they had magic weekend as 1/2 June? Surely a mistake ?

They did originally but then changed it to the correct date 25/26 May ????