Super League Magic Weekend relocated with Elland Road to replace St James' Park
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:58 am
The event is one of the biggest weekend's in rugby league's calendar.
The Super League Magic Weekend will not be held at Newcastle's St James' Park next year, Rugby League Live can reveal, with Leeds United's Elland Road set to host the event next year.
The 38,000-capacity stadium will become the sixth venue to host the event since its introduction in 2007, with next year's festival to take place on the weekend of August 17/18th. It has previously been staged at Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and most recently, Newcastle.
It was initially hoped that the event would stay in Newcastle, with the city seen by many as the spiritual home of the event. But despite there being an appetite from local officials to retain the event, logistical issues meant a date that worked for both parties could not be reached. Next year's Challenge Cup Final will be staged in June and with officials keen to spread out the big events, it meant a May date wasn't preferable.
But an August date can bring challenges, specifically for stadia where football is played as it coincides with the beginning of the season. That is thought to have been one of the challenges in keeping the event in Newcastle next year.
Instead it will be played in Leeds and at a stadium that has history with rugby league. Elland Road has previously hosted a number of major events, such as the 2008 and 2010 World Club Challenge matches. England have played international matches going as far back as 1921 while the Tri Nations and Four Nations finals were held there at the beginning of the 21st century. Most recently, the stadium staged the epic Rugby League World Cup semi-final between Australia and New Zealand in 2022, while months earlier the Challenge Cup semi-final double header, and the Women's Challenge Cup Final, were also played there.
The fixtures for the event are already known based on the formula the competition has used over many years. Leeds Rhinos, playing in their home city, will take on Warrington Wolves in what is thought to be the final game on Saturday evening.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... d-28141711
The Super League Magic Weekend will not be held at Newcastle's St James' Park next year, Rugby League Live can reveal, with Leeds United's Elland Road set to host the event next year.
The 38,000-capacity stadium will become the sixth venue to host the event since its introduction in 2007, with next year's festival to take place on the weekend of August 17/18th. It has previously been staged at Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and most recently, Newcastle.
It was initially hoped that the event would stay in Newcastle, with the city seen by many as the spiritual home of the event. But despite there being an appetite from local officials to retain the event, logistical issues meant a date that worked for both parties could not be reached. Next year's Challenge Cup Final will be staged in June and with officials keen to spread out the big events, it meant a May date wasn't preferable.
But an August date can bring challenges, specifically for stadia where football is played as it coincides with the beginning of the season. That is thought to have been one of the challenges in keeping the event in Newcastle next year.
Instead it will be played in Leeds and at a stadium that has history with rugby league. Elland Road has previously hosted a number of major events, such as the 2008 and 2010 World Club Challenge matches. England have played international matches going as far back as 1921 while the Tri Nations and Four Nations finals were held there at the beginning of the 21st century. Most recently, the stadium staged the epic Rugby League World Cup semi-final between Australia and New Zealand in 2022, while months earlier the Challenge Cup semi-final double header, and the Women's Challenge Cup Final, were also played there.
The fixtures for the event are already known based on the formula the competition has used over many years. Leeds Rhinos, playing in their home city, will take on Warrington Wolves in what is thought to be the final game on Saturday evening.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... d-28141711