The Magic Weekend (known as the Betfred Magic Weekend for sponsorship reasons) is an annual event organised by the Rugby Football League in which an entire round of Super League matches is played over a weekend at a single stadium to promote the sport of rugby league. [1]
The event took place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff full 2007 to 2008, and again in 2011. Subsequent events have taken place at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, from 2009 to 2010. [2] the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, in 2012, 2013, and 2014. [3] St James' Park, Newcastle, from 2015, 2016, 2017, to 2018, and again in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Anfield, Liverpool in 2019, [4] . Elland Road, Leeds, is set to host it for the first time for 2024 season.
Having established itself on the English rugby league calendar, the Magic Weekend formula has now been copied in other rugby league-playing nations: starting in France in 2017, [5] and then in Australia, with the Magic Round in 2019.
The first Millennium Magic round was confirmed in September 2006 for the weekend of 5–6 May 2007. [6] [7] Richard Lewis, chairman of the RFL, cited both expansion and monetary reasons for the move to Wales, but the plan also allowed the Super League to be reduced by one round (critics had stated that the players were put under too much strain over the season). The event was funded and promoted by the Welsh Tourist Board, who were looking to build on the Challenge Cup finals which had taken place in Cardiff between 2003 and 2005 due to the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium. After the success of the first Millennium Magic in 2007, it became an annual fixture in the Super League calendar. The event was moved to Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh in 2009 following a bid from VisitScotland, and was renamed Murrayfield Magic, and later just the Magic Weekend.
Three Super League XII fixtures took place on Saturday 5 May 2007, and a further three on Sunday 6 May 2007.
The games played were, where possible, 'local derby' matches in an attempt to maximise interest in the event. The two 'non-heartland' clubs in Super League at that time, Catalans Dragons (France) and Harlequins RL (London), were paired against each other. The teams would face their Millennium Magic derby opponents four times during the Super League XII season.
Celtic Crusaders opened the weekend against Oldham R.L.F.C. in a National League Two game on the Friday night (4 May) at Brewery Field, Bridgend. This match officially celebrated 100 years of club rugby league in Wales as Oldham were the first ever opponents to Merthyr Tydfil in the first professional game in Wales on 7 September 1907. In an eventful match, Oldham came back from 26-6 down to win 34–26 in front of 3,441 fans, a record attendance for a National League 2 match. It was also the first National League 2 game shown live on British television, covered by Sky Sports.
A 58,831 aggregate crowd saw the Magic event at the Millennium Stadium. [8] Super League clubs agreed to repeat the event during the following season with Nigel Wood, the RFL's chief operating officer, saying: "The clubs and fans thoroughly enjoyed the day and our aim is to make next year's event even bigger and better." [8]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Catalans Dragons | 28–32 | Harlequins | 5 May 2007 15:00 BST | 32,384 |
Hull | 10–14 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5 May 2007 17:00 BST | |
St. Helens | 34–18 | Wigan Warriors | 5 May 2007 19:00 BST | |
Huddersfield Giants | 36–12 | Wakefield Wildcats | 6 May 2007 14:00 BST | 26,447 |
Salford City Reds | 18–50 | Warrington Wolves | 6 May 2007 16:00 BST | |
Bradford Bulls | 38–42 | Leeds Rhinos | 6 May 2007 18:00 BST |
As in 2007, three Super League XIII fixtures took place on the Saturday (3 May) and a further three on the Sunday (4 May).
The event again kicked off with the local south Wales team, Celtic Crusaders, but this time they were up against Featherstone Rovers at the Brewery Field, Bridgend in a National League 1 match. The Crusaders won the match by 28-point to 18. The match was held in front of a club record crowd of 6,152. [9]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Huddersfield Giants | 34–36 | Warrington Wolves | 3 May 2008 15:00 BST | 30,628 |
Castleford Tigers | 16–54 | Wakefield Wildcats | 3 May 2008 17:00 BST | |
Bradford Bulls | 26–40 | Leeds Rhinos | 3 May 2008 19:00 BST | |
Catalans Dragons | 18–16 | Harlequins | 4 May 2008 14:30 BST | 32,516 |
Hull | 17–22 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 4 May 2008 16:30 BST | |
St. Helens | 57–16 | Wigan Warriors | 4 May 2008 18:30 BST |
It was confirmed after the 2008 event that the weekend was to be moved in 2009 to Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. The event included matches based on a seeded draw, using finishing positions from Super League XIII. [10] [11]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Salford City Reds | 16–24 | Harlequins | 2 May 2009 15:00 BST | 29,627 |
Wakefield Wildcats | 16–32 | Bradford Bulls | 2 May 2009 17:00 BST | |
Wigan Warriors | 38–18 | St. Helens | 2 May 2009 19:00 BST | |
Huddersfield Giants | 40–16 | Crusaders | 3 May 2009 12:30 BST | 30,122 |
Hull | 24–16 | Castleford Tigers | 3 May 2009 14:45 BST | |
Catalans Dragons | 16–32 | Leeds Rhinos | 3 May 2009 17:00 BST | |
Warrington Wolves | 28–36 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 3 May 2008 19:00 BST |
The 2010 Magic weekend took place on 1–2 May 2010 at Murrayfield. After fan criticism of the seeded draw, The RFL decided to ask all 14 Super League clubs whether they would like to revert to derbies. The result favored a seeding again where the top 8 teams faced each other, and the bottom six would play each other.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bradford Bulls | 0–19 | Crusaders | 1 May 2010 13:00 BST | 26,642 |
Hull | 8–25 | Harlequins | 1 May 2010 15:00 BST | |
Salford City Reds | 16–68 | Warrington Wolves | 1 May 2010 17:00 BST | |
Leeds Rhinos | 34–30 | Wakefield Wildcats | 1 May 2010 19:00 BST | |
Castleford Tigers | 34–18 | Catalans Dragons | 2 May 2010 14:00 BST | 25,401 |
Wigan Warriors | 28–10 | Huddersfield Giants | 2 May 2010 16:00 BST | |
St. Helens | 54–0 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2 May 2010 18:00 BST |
The Magic Weekend returned to its original location at the Millennium Stadium, and it saw the opening round of the 2011 Super League season on the weekend of 12–13 February 2011. [12] The event also returned to the original format with the majority of the games being local rivalry games. [13]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Huddersfield Giants | 28–18 | Warrington Wolves | 12 Feb 2011 13:00 GMT | 30,891 |
Catalans Dragons | 4–11 | Harlequins | 12 Feb 2011 15:00 GMT | |
Castleford Tigers | 40–20 | Wakefield Wildcats | 12 Feb 2011 17:00 GMT | |
St. Helens | 16–16 | Wigan Warriors | 12 Feb 2011 19:00 GMT | |
Crusaders | 42–12 | Salford City Reds | 13 Feb 2011 12:00 GMT | 29,323 |
Bradford Bulls | 28–32 | Leeds Rhinos | 13 Feb 2011 14:00 GMT | |
Hull | 22–34 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 13 Feb 2011 16:00 GMT |
The 2012 event was held at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City Football Club, [14] and was the first time the Magic Weekend was held in England.
The date of the Magic Weekend was changed for 2012, reverting to a mid-season game week rather than as a season opener like 2011. However, unlike the first four Magic Weekends, the matches were played over a weekend at the end of May (after the end of the football season [15] ) rather than during the May Day bank holiday weekend at the start of May. Although the last weekend of May is usually the Late Spring Bank Holiday weekend, the Spring bank holiday in 2012 was moved back a weekend as part of the Diamond Jubilee. [16]
Following the premise of previous Magic Weekends, the majority of the fixtures were local rivalry games. [17] 2012 was the first time that Widnes Vikings participated in the Magic Weekend. [18] The aggregate attendance of the weekend was 63,716 (the largest ever).
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Castleford Tigers | 26–32 | Wakefield Wildcats | 26 May 2012 13:00 BST | 30,763 |
Warrington Wolves | 68–4 | Widnes Vikings | 26 May 2012 16:00 BST | |
Hull F.C. | 30–32 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 26 May 2012 19:00 BST | |
Catalans Dragons | 42–18 | London Broncos | 27 May 2012 12:00 BST | 32,953 |
Huddersfield Giants | 34–38 | Salford City Reds | 27 May 2012 14:00 BST | |
Bradford Bulls | 22–37 | Leeds Rhinos | 27 May 2012 16:00 BST | |
St. Helens | 16–42 | Wigan Warriors | 27 May 2012 18:00 BST |
The 2013 Magic Weekend was once again held at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May. [19]
As in 2012, the 2013 Magic Weekend took place after the end of the football season in May, on the late Spring bank holiday weekend.
As in previous years, some of the matches were local rivalries with Castleford playing Wakefield Trinity and Hull F.C. Hull Kingston Rovers, both repeat fixtures from 2012. The other four matches were new fixtures for the Magic Weekend and included St. Helens playing Warrington and Bradford vs Huddersfield, continuing the tradition of having local rivalry matches at the Magic Weekend.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Catalans Dragons | 46–18 | London Broncos | 25 May 2013 12:00 BST | 30,793 |
Castleford Tigers | 48–24 | Wakefield Wildcats | 25 May 2013 14:15 BST | |
Hull F.C. | 22–16 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 25 May 2013 16:30 BST | |
St. Helens | 22–48 | Warrington Wolves | 25 May 2012 18:45 BST | |
Salford City Reds | 28–22 | Widnes Vikings | 26 May 2013 15:00 BST | 31,249 |
Bradford Bulls | 6–42 | Huddersfield Giants | 26 May 2013 17:15 BST | |
Leeds Rhinos | 16–20 | Wigan Warriors | 26 May 2013 19:30 BST |
On 31 May 2013, less than a week after the 2013 Magic Weekend, the RFL announced that the Magic Weekend would once again return to the Etihad Stadium, Manchester for 2014, with matches being played on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May. [20]
On 23 January 2014, the fixtures were announced with, in a repeat of the 2013 fixtures, four matches set to take place on the Saturday with the remaining three scheduled for Sunday, including four local derbies (Huddersfield-Bradford, Hull Kingston Rovers-Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity-Castleford and Warrington-St Helens R.F.C.) plus the meeting of the last two winners of the Super League Grand Final, Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos. The other matches consisted of Widnes vs Salford and London vs Catalans Dragons.
Controversy was created in the city of Hull following the announcement that the 2014 FA Cup Final was to take place at exactly the same time and date as the fixture between Hull FC and Hull KR, this being the first FA Cup final Hull City had qualified for. The RFL announced on 15 April 2014 that they would not be changing the fixture. [21]
The aggregate attendance of 64,552 was the highest ever for a Magic Weekend, while the Saturday attendance of 36,339 was the highest ever single-day figure until both records were surpassed the consequent year in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Broncos | 22–24 | Catalans Dragons | 17 May 2014 12:30 BST | 36,339 |
Widnes Vikings | 30–24 | Salford Red Devils | 17 May 2014 14:45 BST | |
Hull Kingston Rovers | 38–24 | Hull F.C. | 17 May 2014 17:00 BST | |
Wigan Warriors | 18–14 | Leeds Rhinos | 17 May 2014 19:15 BST | |
Wakefield Wildcats | 12–50 | Castleford Tigers | 18 May 2014 12:30 BST | 28,213 |
Huddersfield Giants | 54–16 | Bradford Bulls | 18 May 2014 14:45 BST | |
Warrington Wolves | 41–24 | St. Helens | 18 May 2014 17:00 BST |
In 2015, the Magic Weekend was forced to move due to construction at the Etihad Stadium, which would commence immediately after the 2014–15 Premier League season had concluded, which meant the Magic Weekend was due to be changed, with Coventry's Ricoh Arena and Newcastle upon Tyne's St James' Park being considered by the RFL. Blake Solly had confirmed that the Etihad and Super League did have a good partnership, but there were alternatives available to host the event. [22] On 10 September 2014, it was confirmed that the Magic Weekend had been awarded to Newcastle for 2015, and would be played 30 and 31 May 2015. With the Super League Reformatting in 2015, the Magic Weekend featured twelve teams and six matches, as opposed to the seven games in previous years.
The event was considered the most successful to date, with a record aggregate attendance of 67,788, a record single-day crowd of 40,871 on the Saturday and an estimated benefit of £4.2 million to the Newcastle economy. [23]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Salford Red Devils | 16–38 | Widnes Vikings | 30 May 2015 14:30 BST | 40,871 |
Hull | 46–20 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 30 May 2015 16:45 BST | |
Leeds Rhinos | 12–27 | Wigan Warriors | 30 May 2015 19:00 BST | |
Catalans Dragons | 22–22 | Huddersfield Giants | 31 May 2015 13:00 BST | 26,970 |
St. Helens | 20–16 | Warrington Wolves | 31 May 2015 15:15 BST | |
Castleford Tigers | 56–16 | Wakefield Trinity | 31 May 2015 17:30 BST |
After a successful event in Newcastle in 2015, the Magic Weekend returned to St James' Park for the second year running with most fixtures being based upon last season's league standings rather than local derbies. The top four from last season play each other; Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors and St. Helens v Huddersfield Giants. Continuing with this trend, 5th placed Castleford Tigers play 6th placed Warrington Wolves and the two teams in the bottom four last season, Widnes Vikings and Salford Red Devils, play in a repeat of last year's fixture. Last season's bottom placed Wakefield Trinity Wildcats play Catalans Dragons: as the Dragons struggle away from home, this fixture is to give both teams a chance of winning. The only derby this year is the Hull Derby at the end of the weekend.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Salford Red Devils | 18–12 | Widnes Vikings | 21 May 2016 14:30 BST | 39,331 |
Warrington Wolves | 14–34 | Castleford Tigers | 21 May 2016 16:45 BST | |
Leeds Rhinos | 8–40 | Wigan Warriors | 21 May 2016 19:00 BST | |
Wakefield Trinity | 25–24 | Catalans Dragons | 22 May 2016 13:00 BST | 28,945 |
St. Helens | 20–48 | Huddersfield Giants | 22 May 2016 15:15 BST | |
Hull F.C. | 28–16 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 22 May 2016 17:30 BST |
For the third consecutive season, Magic Weekend returned to Newcastle. This is the Leigh Centurions' first time playing at the Magic Weekend. This is because Magic Weekend first made an appearance in 2007, two seasons after Leigh's relegation.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Widnes Vikings | 12–34 | Wakefield Trinity | 20 May 2017 14:30 BST | 35,361 |
Hull F.C. | 0–45 | St. Helens | 20 May 2017 16:45 BST | |
Wigan Warriors | 24–24 | Warrington Wolves | 20 May 2017 19:00 BST | |
Catalans Dragons | 10–18 | Huddersfield Giants | 21 May 2017 13:00 BST | 30,046 |
Leigh Centurions | 22–36 | Salford Red Devils | 21 May 2017 15:15 BST | |
Castleford Tigers | 29–18 | Leeds Rhinos | 21 May 2017 17:30 BST |
For a fourth year in succession, Magic Weekend took place in Newcastle. As a curtain raiser, the first game to be played on the first day was a Championship fixture between Toronto Wolfpack and Toulouse Olympique. [24]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Toronto Wolfpack | 43–30 | Toulouse Olympique | 19 May 2018 12:45 BST (RFL Championship) | 38,881 |
Widnes Vikings | 18–38 | St. Helens | 19 May 2018 15:00 BST | |
Wigan Warriors | 38–10 | Warrington Wolves | 19 May 2018 17:15 BST | |
Castleford Tigers | 38–10 | Leeds Rhinos | 19 May 2018 19:30 BST | |
Salford Red Devils | 12–26 | Catalans Dragons | 20 May 2018 13:00 BST | 25,438 |
Wakefield Trinity | 22–25 | Huddersfield Giants | 20 May 2018 15:15 BST | |
Hull Kingston Rovers | 22–34 | Hull F.C. | 20 May 2018 17:30 BST |
Anfield was chosen as the venue for the 2019 Magic Weekend after two test matches were played there in 2016 and 2018. After previously choosing games that were local derbies or competitive games, in 2019 the fixtures were determined by the previous season's league position.
Robert Elstone, Super League Chief Executive, said "On behalf of the Super League clubs, we’re delighted to be taking the Dacia Magic Weekend to one of the most famous stadiums in the world. [25]
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wakefield Trinity | 18–25 | Catalans Dragons | 25 May 2019 14:00 BST | 30,057 |
Hull F.C. | 2–55 | Huddersfield Giants | 25 May 2019 16:30 BST | |
Wigan Warriors | 14–26 | Warrington Wolves | 25 May 2019 19:00 BST | |
Salford Red Devils | 20–22 | Hull KR | 26 May 2019 13:00 BST | 26,812 |
Leeds Rhinos | 24–22 | London Broncos | 26 May 2019 15:30 BST | |
St Helens | 36–16 | Castleford Tigers | 26 May 2019 18:00 BST |
The 2020 event was due to return to Newcastle's St James' Park, however it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to wider implications for the 2020 season.
The Super League's Magic Weekend saw a belated return to Newcastle for the 2021 season. Fixtures for the event were announced on 23 February with matches scheduled to be played during the weekend of 4–5 September.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Castleford Tigers | 29–18 | Salford Red Devils | 4 September 2021 15:00 BST | 35,104 |
St Helens | 30–31 | Catalans Dragons | 4 September 2021 17:15 BST | |
Leeds Rhinos | 25–24 | Hull FC | 4 September 2021 19:30 BST | |
Huddersfield Giants | 18–32 | Wakefield Trinity | 5 September 2021 13:00 BST | 25,762 |
Wigan Warriors | 6–10 | Warrington Wolves | 5 September 2021 15:15 BST | |
Leigh Centurions | 6–44 | Hull KR | 5 September 2021 17:30 BST |
The Super League's Magic Weekend stayed in Newcastle, for the 2022 season. Fixtures for the event were announced on 23 February with matches played during the weekend of 9–10 July.
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wakefield Trinity | 26-38 | Toulouse Olympique | 9 July 2022 14:30 BST | 36,821 |
St Helens | 20–18 | Wigan Warriors | 9 July 2022 16:45 BST | |
Leeds Rhinos | 30–24 | Castleford Tigers | 9 July 2022 19:00 BST | |
Huddersfield Giants | 30–18 | Salford Red Devils | 10 July 2022 13:00 BST | 25,333 |
Catalans Dragons | 10–36 | Warrington Wolves | 10 July 2022 15:15 BST | |
Hull KR | 28–34 | Hull FC | 10 July 2022 17:30 BST |
Team | Score | Team | Date and Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Salford Red Devils | 26–16 | Hull KR | 3 June 2023 13:30 | 36,943 |
Wigan Warriors | 22–46 | Catalans Dragons | 3 June 2023 15:45 | |
Leeds Rhinos | 24–26 | Castleford Tigers | 3 June 2023 18:00 | |
Wakefield Trinity | 4–30 | Leigh Leopards | 4 June 2023 12:00 | 26,369 |
St Helens | 48–6 | Huddersfield Giants | 4 June 2023 14:30 | |
Hull FC | 30–18 | Warrington Wolves | 4 June 2023 16:30 |
Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 21 | |
2 | Castleford Tigers | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 20 |
3 | Warrington Wolves | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 19 |
4 | St. Helens | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 19 |
5 | Wigan Warriors | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 18 |
6 | Leeds Rhinos | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 18 |
7 | Catalans Dragons | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 17 |
8 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 15 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
9 | Hull F.C. | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
10 | Wakefield Trinity | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 10 |
11 | Salford Red Devils | 15 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
12 | London Broncos | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
13 | Crusaders | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
14 | Widnes Vikings | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
15 | Toronto Wolfpack | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
16 | Toulouse Olympique | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
17 | Leigh Leopards | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
18 | Bradford Bulls | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
City | Stadium | Count | Years | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Newcastle | St James' Park | 7 | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 (cancelled), 2021, 2022, 2023 |
2 | Cardiff | Millennium Stadium | 3 | 2007, 2008, 2011 |
Manchester | Etihad Stadium | 2012, 2013, 2014 | ||
3 | Edinburgh | Murrayfield | 2 | 2009, 2010 |
4 | Liverpool | Anfield | 1 | 2019 |
Year | City | Stadium | Biggest day attendance | Weekend attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Cardiff | Millennium Stadium | 32,384 | 58,831 |
2008 | 32,516 | 63,144 | ||
2009 | Edinburgh | Murrayfield | 30,122 | 59,749 |
2010 | 26,642 | 52,043 | ||
2011 | Cardiff | Millennium Stadium | 30,891 | 60,214 |
2012 | Manchester | Etihad Stadium | 32,953 | 63,716 |
2013 | 31,249 | 62,042 | ||
2014 | 36,339 | 64,552 | ||
2015 | Newcastle | St James' Park | 40,871 | 67,841 |
2016 | 39,331 | 68,276 | ||
2017 | 35,361 | 65,407 | ||
2018 | 38,881 | 64,319 | ||
2019 | Liverpool | Anfield | 30,057 | 56,869 |
2020 | Newcastle | St James' Park | Cancelled | |
2021 | 35,104 | 60,866 | ||
2022 | 36,821 | 62,154 | ||
2023 | 36,943 | 63,312 |
Year | City | Stadium | Attendance | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2016 | Newcastle | St James' Park | 68,276 |
2 | 2015 | Newcastle | St James' Park | 67,841 |
3 | 2017 | Newcastle | St James' Park | 65,407 |
Sponsor | Years | Name |
---|---|---|
Dacia | 2016–2021 | Dacia Magic Weekend |
Sky | 2022 | Magic Weekend sponsored by Sky |
Betfred | 2023 | Betfred Magic Weekend |
The Newcastle Thunder is a professional rugby league club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Founded in 1999 as Gateshead Thunder after the merger of the original Gateshead Thunder with Hull F.C. the club played in the Championship and League 1 competitions, the second and third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom. In 2015 the club changed its name to Newcastle Thunder. They played their home matches at Kingston Park, also home to rugby union side Newcastle Falcons.
Martin Gleeson is the assistant coach at Featherstone Rovers. He is the former assistant coach at the rugby league club Salford Red Devils in the Super League, and an English former professional rugby league footballer. He represented both Great Britain and England internationally as a centre. His previous clubs include the Huddersfield Giants, St. Helens, the Warrington Wolves, the Wigan Warriors, Hull F.C. and the Salford City Reds. His honours include winning the Super League in 2002 and 2010 and the Challenge Cup in 2004.
Matthew Cook is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop, second-row and loose forward for the Widnes Vikings in the Betfred Championship.
The Catalans Dragons are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the club competes in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league
Engage Super League XII is the official name for the year 2007's Super League season in the sport of rugby league.
The Engage Super League XIV was the official name for the 2009 season of Super League. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds after which, the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the Super League Trophy. The previous Top six play-offs were extended to eight teams.
Rhys Williams is a Welsh former professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Swinton Lions in the RFL Championship and Wales at international level.
2009 Super League season results details the regular season and play-off match results of Super League XIV.
Engage Super League XV was the official name for the 2010 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds. The season officially kicked off on 5 February with the Crusaders versus the Leeds Rhinos on 29 January at Crusaders' new homeground at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Crusaders halfback Michael Witt scored the first points of the season with a penalty goal and the Rhinos came away with the first competition points, posting a 34 to 6 victory.
Rugby league is played across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but its heartland in parts of Northern England is where the sport is most popular, and is where the majority of professional clubs are based. The sport was first established in the George Hotel, Huddersfield, where 22 clubs split from the Rugby Football Union to form the Northern Rugby Football Union.
The Engage Super League XVI was the official name for the 2011 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds, after which the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the championship and the Super League Trophy. Leeds Rhinos claimed their fifth Super League crown, tying the record previously held by St. Helens, whilst the Warrington Wolves lifted the League Leaders' Shield.
This is a list of the 2012 Super League season results. Super League is the top-flight rugby league competition in the United Kingdom and France. The 2012 season started on 4 February and ends on 6 October with the 2012 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. The Magic Weekend was scheduled over the weekend of 26 and 27 May and was played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester for the first time, having previously been played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
Super League XVIII was the official name for the 2013 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds, after which the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the championship and the Super League Trophy.
This is a list of the 2013 Super League season results. Super League is the top-flight rugby league competition in the United Kingdom and France. The 2013 season starts on 1 February and ends on 5 October with the 2013 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. The Magic Weekend was scheduled over the weekend of 25 and 26 May and would be played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester for the second time, the ground having been used for the 2012 season.
Mikey Lewis is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a stand-off or scrum-half for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League and for England at international level.
Super League XXV, known as the 2020 Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, was the 25th season of the Super League and 126th season of rugby league in Great Britain. St Helens were the reigning champions going into Super League XXV.
The 2020 Challenge Cup, known as the Coral Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 119th staging of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout tournament for teams in the Super League, the British national leagues and a number of invited amateur clubs.
Super League XXVI, known as the 2021 Betfred Super League XXVI for sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of the Super League and 127th season of rugby league in Great Britain.
Super League XXVI was the 2021 season of Super League, and 126th season of rugby league in Great Britain. The season started on 26 March 2021, with all six fixtures taking place behind closed doors, at Headingley. It was originally scheduled to have consisted of 27 regular season games, but changes introduced during the season shortened the competition to 25 rounds and subsequent play-offs. The season finale, the Grand Final, took place at Old Trafford, on 9 October 2021.
The 2021 Challenge Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2021 Betfred Challenge Cup, was the 120th edition of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout tournament in British rugby league run by the Rugby Football League (RFL). This year's competition will be contested between only the professional clubs.