Super League Magic Weekend relocated with Elland Road to replace St James' Park

[josie andrews]

Super League’s Magic Weekend returns to the height of summer in 2024, and will be staged at the sixth venue since the concept was launched in 2007 – Elland Road, the home of Leeds United FC.

All 12 Betfred Super League clubs will gather in Leeds on the weekend of August 17-18 for a full round of fixtures which includes blockbuster clashes between Catalans Dragons and Hull KR, Warrington Wolves versus Leeds Rhinos and the original Rugby League derby between Wigan Warriors and St Helens.

All six matches will be shown live and exclusive by Sky Sports, as part of the new three-year broadcast partnership announced this autumn.

It will be only the second time since 2012 that Wigan have faced Saints at Magic – but will also be a repeat of the Betfred Challenge Cup Semi Final between the clubs at Elland Road in 2022, when Liam Marshall’s spectacular try clinched victory for the Warriors and a trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Wigan versus St Helens clash is the second match of the 2024 Magic Weekend.

The action will kick off with Tony Smith’s Hull FC, always one of the best-supported clubs at Magic, taking on a London Broncos team who will be making their first Magic appearance since 2019 – when they were narrowly beaten by Leeds Rhinos at Anfield.

The Saturday night match will see the Rhinos playing a first Magic fixture in their home city against Warrington – a challenge that will doubtless be relished by the Wolves and their new head coach Sam Burgess.

It will be the first time the Rhinos have played at Elland Road since they switched two home Super League fixtures in 2018 when Headingley was being redeveloped, attracting a crowd of 23,246 against Castleford Tigers which remains the club’s Super League record – and they also forged some lasting memories at the ground in four World Club Challenges between 2005-10.

Sunday’s action kicks off with another local rivalry from the other side of the Pennines as the 2023 Betfred Challenge Cup winners Leigh Leopards take on Salford Red Devils, before the heavyweight meeting of second and fourth from this year’s table when the Catalans face Hull KR.

The Sunday evening match features two West Yorkshire clubs who have been the most consistently successful Magic performers, and who both have happy recent memories of Elland Road.

Castleford Tigers, who won that 2018 game against Leeds and have taken 20 points from their previous 15 Magic fixtures, will face Huddersfield Giants, who beat Hull KR in the second part of a double header of Challenge Cup semi finals in 2022 – and top the overall Magic table with 10 wins, a draw and only four defeats.

Kick-off times will be confirmed when tickets go on sale for the 2024 Betfred Super League Magic Weekend next month.

Rhodri Jones, the Managing Director of RL Commercial, said: “Magic Weekend is going to have a different feel in 2024, as a result of the return to a date later in the summer to move away from the Betfred Challenge Cup Final in June, and the non-availability of St James’ Park which has proved such a popular venue for the last three years.

“We are delighted to have agreed a deal with Leeds United FC to stage Magic Weekend at Elland Road, one of the biggest and best stadia in the north of England – and with a rich Rugby League history, having staged numerous big matches from the 1982 Challenge Cup Final replay to the World Cup semi final between Australia and New Zealand last year.

“The fixtures formula we have used for Magic since 2019, which involves seeding teams into three groups of four based on their 2023 performance, has produced an intriguing line-up of matches, and with all clubs offering special pricing for Magic as part of their season tickets package, we would encourage fans to move quickly when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.”

Leeds United Chief Executive Angus Kinnear said: “Over recent years we have held some fantastic events at Elland Road, with some of the biggest games in Rugby League including the World Cup semi-final in 2022, along with England men’s and women’s international football fixtures and Josh Warrington’s world title boxing fight.

“We are thrilled to be adding the 2024 Magic Weekend to that list, it is great for us as a club and will also bring economic benefits to the whole city of Leeds.

“Everyone knows what a special venue Elland Road is and we’re all looking forward to another great spectacle.”

Magic Weekend will be Round 22 of the 2024 Betfred Super League season. The full fixtures list will be published on Thursday morning (8:30am), with Clubs revealing their opponents in the first two rounds on Wednesday evening (from 7pm).

Betfred Super League Magic Weekend 2024

Saturday 17th August

Hull FC v London Broncos
Wigan Warriors v St Helens
Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos
Sunday 18th August

Leigh Leopards v Salford Red Devils
Catalans Dragons v Hull KR
Huddersfield Giants v Castleford Tigers

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/11/ ... confirmed/

[Fan4Fifty]

“Everyone knows what a special venue Elland Road is and we’re all looking forward to another great spectacle.”

Don't like to be negative but Elland Road is a pretty decrepit stadium in need of some significant upgrade and is in an area with not too much going on in the immediate vicinity. Certainly not one of the best stadiums in the north of England. I guess given the date, options were limited.

[Fan4Fifty]

I'm quoting from the press release too and appreciate that Josie didn't write the quoted bit!!

[Mike]

Bit out in the middle of nowhere isn't it Elland Road? And its not really exposing the game to new markets is it?

[morley pie eater]

I don't want to poke my nose into the debate as such, but it's only 2 miles or so from home for me, I may be able to offer some advice re local amenities.

The Ossett Brewery pub (used to be The New Peacock but not sure if it's changed) right opposite the ground is pretty big and likely to have extra outdoor facilities in August.
Further up Elland Road towards Leeds, about 400 yards from the ground is The Old Peacock, once a traditional Tetley's pub.

Cross the road from the stadium and walk less than half a mile and you're on Beeston Town St which runs parallel to Elland Road. The Old White Hart and The Whistlestop are there.

Other than the Ossett Brewery pub, I haven't been in any of the above, but nearer home for me are two good pubs that are not far away and actually on Elland Road, Churwell, as it extends beyond the Ring Road. Head in the direction away from the city centre to the ring road, go left at the lights and then, soon after, right at a roundabout. The New Inn is then on your right, about 15 mins walk from the ground. Another 5 minute walk and you're at the Commercial, again on the right. If you don't want to walk that far, there's a bus passing the ground that goes up and down there every 10 or 15 mins. (51, 52.)

I'm not saying this to persuade anyone to do anything, just FYI. All these pubs will be used to being rammed with Leeds United fans on match days and will be able to cope with the Magic crowds.

[Mike]

Return to the Etihad would have been better.

Same football issues. No premeir league team is going to let you play on their pitch within a week of them playing. I would imagine that Old Trafford may not be available for the GF once our contract expires and their ownership changes (no idea what the agreement for that is at the moment).

[morley pie eater]

Magic has never appealed to me because I don't have the patience or stamina or interest to watch more than 1 match in a day. I went to nearly every Premiership final at Old Trafford and, when they added the 2nd Division final, I'd arrive during the 2nd half.

As it's so near this year, I may go to watch Wigan and half of another game.

My abiding memory of us at Elland Road was Graeme West making a break down the left and passing to Gilly to score. Obviously early 80s, I'd guess a cup semi and think it was against Hull KR with Gavin Miller one of their players of that era who I remember.

[Just googled it - it was the 1985 cup semi final.]

[Fan4Fifty]

Magic has never appealed to me because I don't have the patience or stamina or interest to watch more than 1 match in a day. I went to nearly every Premiership final at Old Trafford and, when they added the 2nd Division final, I'd arrive during the 2nd half.

As it's so near this year, I may go to watch Wigan and half of another game.

My abiding memory of us at Elland Road was Graeme West making a break down the left and passing to Gilly to score. Obviously early 80s, I'd guess a cup semi and think it was against Hull KR with Gavin Miller one of their players of that era who I remember.

[Just googled it - it was the 1985 cup semi final.]

If I'm thinking about the same incident, wasn't it David Stephenson that scored? We'd been under the pump and Westy broke from a 25 yard line tap. Hull KR were a dominant team then so I think it was the most excited I've ever been at a match - great memory!!

[EDINBURGH-WARRIOR]

Beginning of the end of the Magic Week . Average attendance on a Saturday is around 35k . The ground holds 38k so there can't be unreserved seating. IMG a complete joke . Great weekend in an absolute shoite hole of a stadium in an area with nowt round about it . RIP Magic.

EW

[Ipinwigan]

Well for the first time since Magic went to Anfield I won't be going, will just have to put up with the abysmal commentary from Sky.
The RFL / Super League have once again failed to deliver and this is a major backwards step.
They should have been marketing the event, in Newcastle, as the Super League showpiece event, but then again marketing is something that the RFL don't seem to be capable of.
Yet another balls up.