looks like this will be the last weekend of magic in newcastle.

have the attendances risen at local club newcastle thunder or a millionaire come in to buy them? is it a sell out with geordies this weekend??

edinburgh failed to add anything to RL

cardiff failed too

coventry next??? well we took a 4 nations game down there so why not give them another go...

its basically just a cash cow for the rfl, they get money from the council that bids for it.. not spreading the game at all, the locals dont come out and make it a sell out, its just the loyal club fans being asked to trail all over to watch their team

I posted the below in another thread earlier. Similar to what you posted, but without the angriness.

"I think the problem at the moment is we don't know what the underlying strategy is for MW.

Is it first and foremost a money spinner?
Is it to increase fans/awareness in new areas?
Is it to help increase participation in those areas via community clubs?
Is it to help boost an expansion club?

I imagine the RFL see it as purely a money spinner, with the hope that it positively effects the other three, but the problem as always is it's half-d.


I like your idea to move it every year, create the prestige and honour for the city holding it, but there also needs to be a broader strategy from the RFL to leave a legacy in the area it's held after it's been played.

For instance, if after MW next weekend, the RFL announce MW2018 will be in Coventry or Liverpool, we need to have: RFL development officers in that city's schools and supporting any existing community clubs right away; RFL execs creating partnerships with that cities public bodies and key businesses; a targeted and visible marketing strategy in that city; a clear plan on how to harness the interest created post-MW via participation and/or supporting their local club."

Id say it has raised the profile of the game in the North East, both years i've been ive had lots of curious locals ask questions on the Metro, in the bars etc but the problem is the RL show then goes away again for another year before the RFL do some weak promo about a week before the event.

If we were taking it seriously we'd have taken an England 4Nations game up there (though admittedly Kingston Park being unable to host international RL due to its plastic pitch doesnt help) or got some of the bigger SL sides to host a one-off double header to keep the interest up.

Still its not a complete disaster, it sounds like the RFL have at least a three way battle between Newcastle, Manchester and Coventry and it could even be a fiveway battle if you add Liverpool and Coventry. So surely they can get a big hosting fee out of that bidding war.

curious locals that didnt go and didnt bother to go watch newcastle thunder either no doubt

suppose its rugby league in general really that cant pull crowds, football is king in this country.

I live in the north east and know several folk who've been to their first ever game while it's been held here. Newcastle are getting the occasional 1k+ attendance. While it's hardly a hotbed, you can at least talk about the game to locals and most are aware it's different to union. Always gets good press locally too (the weekend, that is).

Sounds like it has been a success.

I was speaking to a guy last week who works in Newcastle (but lives in Warrington). He was also paid by the RFL to act as a development officer and said the RFL were investing a fair amount in to Newcastle in terms of development. So I don't think it's just a case of them plonking the magic weekend there and thinking that's enough.

I think its decent - great city, great stadium.

In terms of neutrals - if each team brings an average of say 2000 fans (Including Catalan) - thats 24k SL fans. The attendance last year over both days was something like 68k so even if everyone on day 1 had a weekend ticket, thats still 20'000 extra spectators over 2 days.

It generates profit for the RFL - I think its great. Think it would be a shame to go to a new city but if they do, then not some armpit like
Coventry.

Magic Weekend doesn't have instant roof raising success.
Fan moans about it.

Have I got this right?

Can't understand the negativity of the Magic Weekend wherever it's played, I've been to every one with my wife & in-laws and to me it's what you make it, Just embrace it it's a game of rugby for your team to win 2pts in front of opposite team fans in a nice lovely stadium, Great banter with all the rugby fans which you wouldn't get with Wendy ball, In Cardiff remember the Wakey and Warrington fans singing together outside of one of the pubs think that's on youtube just good banter, And if it is a money spinner for the RFL so blo#dy what we've become a minority sport so we need all the money we can get, Where can you go to watch upto 6 pro-games for £40 or 3 for £20 i'll tell you No-Where.

Up The Trin

Why do we see this as a bad thing? We have a sport that is crying out for investment and struggling to financially compete with competing sports and leagues because a large proportion of clubs can't market themselves properly, yet here we are with an event that cities are literally throwing money at us to host and we see this as a negative?

If the purpose of the Magic Weekend had nothing to do with expansion, nothing to do with profile and everything to do with generating a profitable event that people enjoy, that alone is a good enough reason to persist with it.

As it stands, RL will dominate one of Sky Sports' channels for two whole days this weekend - no other event in our calendar does that. There will undoubtedly be spectators from both RL land and further afield enjoying the weekend and next year, we will continue to have city councils and tourism bodies showing an interest in hosting the event.

If the reason to cancel this event is because some fans don't want to pay the train fare, then we may as well start cancelling the other 30-odd weeks of fixtures.

Ideas behind magic weekend and challenge cup are merging these past few weeks due to news from rfl hq. If we need an alternative. I'd like to see either quarter finals over two days (with whatever curtain raisers you may want opening each day) or even the semi finals over 1 day with or without curtain raiser. That wouldn't obstruct or put out the broadcasters. Would make sense to be quarter finals as it would create a big financial drain potentially on fans (can only afford to travel for final and not semis).

I'd probably go one of them.. But only if my team was playing! Which makes the point of magic weekend being a celebration of whole sport and all the teams redundant.

Don't know why there is a need for constant faffing about.

When I've been I've enjoyed the atmosphere of the MW and it's still a good idea.

However, it's also laughable that it's possible in the first place. I remember Eddie Hemmings a few years back spouting how good it was and no other sport does this and how brilliant sL is because of it etc etc. Why is this laughable? The fact that when all the hardcore fans of all SL clubs get together we still barely fill a 60k stadium. If the premier league tried it, the stadium would probably need to hold about 300k+.

So whilst it is good and spreads the word etc, its also very sad.

The MW promotes Rugby League in a positive way and for that reason we should all back it where ever its played.
I'm sure its raised Rugby League awareness in Newcastle and other cities where its been played.

yep, how many will be in the ground watching the first game on sunday , hudds v catalans???

wont be 30k anyway i know that

supposed to be a celebration of rugby league...yet empty seats all over, even for the latter games too

Can't see why they've never let under 16's in for free with each adult or something like that. Even if only for the NE postcode. After all this time, is it a money maker, is it a way to hit new markets. We will never likely find out.

you could give tickets away for free to anyone, still wont come

football they would though

Why bring football into the equation? Football is a multi-billion pound, global sport and is our national sport. There are many things football can do we can only dream of, lets just scrap RL all together with that logic. Lets scrap the WC as footballs is much bigger



As others have said, it is what you make of it. It's a good weekend with good banter and a marathon of RL to watch and makes a fair bit for money for a sport that needs it (although you still found a negative with that) We get exposure all weekend that we just won't get at all for the rest of the season apart from the GF and CC final.

The only problem i have is the unfair extra fixture. But it's good thing for the sport after taking some time to find it's feet. It started out as a way to expand which didn't work out but now i think it's a great EVENT for the fans and brings exposure and some much needed brass.

Bingo. There doesn't see to be a strategy behind the concept (or at least they're not telling us & executing it poorly).

no problem with the rfl making money from the event, just dont try telling us its to spread the game because the evidence is that where ever its taken its doesnt sell out and doesnt form a new club in that area of bring a new investor into the sport

Since the Magic Weekend moved to Newcastle, Gateshead Thunder has a new owner (an investor if you will), moved to and carries the name of the very city that hosts the event.

And is anyone actually on record as saying that the purpose of the Magic Weekend is to spread the game to the North East? Nobody is "telling" me that's the purpose of the weekend.

In 2006 the original concept was to continue with development of the game in Wales, following the hosting of the Challenge Cup Finals: "The 'Millennium Magic' initiative is the result of a partnership between the RFL and Cardiff Council and follows the sell-out crowds for the 2004 and 2005 Challenge Cup finals in the Welsh capital. Richard Lewis, the RFL executive chairman, said, "We want to build on both the rugby league supporters' liking for the Millennium Stadium and the progress rugby league is making as a sport in Wales." www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/othe ... ic-2313005

In 2006 the original concept was to continue with development of the game in Wales, following the hosting of the Challenge Cup Finals: "The 'Millennium Magic' initiative is the result of a partnership between the RFL and Cardiff Council and follows the sell-out crowds for the 2004 and 2005 Challenge Cup finals in the Welsh capital. Richard Lewis, the RFL executive chairman, said, "We want to build on both the rugby league supporters' liking for the Millennium Stadium and the progress rugby league is making as a sport in Wales." www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/othe ... ic-2313005

Newcastle media should be blitzed with offers for the weekend eg Newcastle Utd ST holders family of 2+2 from £10 per day until its sold out - come to the party

Quote ="shinymcshine"In 2006 the original concept was to continue with development of the game in Wales, following the hosting of the Challenge Cup Finals: "The 'Millennium Magic' initiative is the result of a partnership between the RFL and Cardiff Council and follows the sell-out crowds for the 2004 and 2005 Challenge Cup finals in the Welsh capital. Richard Lewis, the RFL executive chairman, said, "We want to build on both the rugby league supporters' liking for the Millennium Stadium and the progress rugby league is making as a sport in Wales." www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/othe ... ic-2313005'" "to build on the progress rugby league is making in Wales" hardly seems like MW is being used as a vehicle for some form of aggressive expansion policy. At the time, Celtic Crusaders were establishing themselves in Wales, but there's not a single suggestion that MW was designed to turn them or any other club into some form of huge 'Super Club'. The big reason we went to Cardiff was a £1m cheque from the Welsh Tourism Board. And that comment is more than ten years ago. We've moved on and, importantly, so has the concept of MW.

Quote ="shinymcshine"In 2006 the original concept was to continue with development of the game in Wales, following the hosting of the Challenge Cup Finals: "The 'Millennium Magic' initiative is the result of a partnership between the RFL and Cardiff Council and follows the sell-out crowds for the 2004 and 2005 Challenge Cup finals in the Welsh capital. Richard Lewis, the RFL executive chairman, said, "We want to build on both the rugby league supporters' liking for the Millennium Stadium and the progress rugby league is making as a sport in Wales." www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/othe ... ic-2313005'" "to build on the progress rugby league is making in Wales" hardly seems like MW is being used as a vehicle for some form of aggressive expansion policy. At the time, Celtic Crusaders were establishing themselves in Wales, but there's not a single suggestion that MW was designed to turn them or any other club into some form of huge 'Super Club'. The big reason we went to Cardiff was a £1m cheque from the Welsh Tourism Board. And that comment is more than ten years ago. We've moved on and, importantly, so has the concept of MW.