Sooo, out of interest, where did all those organised parties hire their coaches from? Local companies perhaps? Did they buy their tickets for the train locally, ensuring local rail services remain strong? Or take a taxi from a local firm to the station?

Did they spring for a new replica shirt for the trip, or buy some new clothes from their local high street

Small, simple minds will live forever in a small simple world, and you will deserve it.

On both days during the first games the stadium looked empty, not surprising really, but it filled up for the later games and honestly, it didn't look so bad at all.

I think the event should have stayed in Wales for this year at least. If the main purpose of the event is to increase awareness and boost spectator number/interest in the game then the combination of Celtic's first year in SL and the Magic weekend in Cardiff I think, would have combined for a more powerful effect.

This would have been worth sacrificing the extra revenue that is made from the event being held in Scotland.

All moot anyway as it has moved. So, on the same lines, I think it should stay there until the first Scottish Championship side is up and running and the RFL should actively be seeking partners to establish a team North of the border.

I can only presume the vast majority of Magic doubters didn't get of their fat a*ses and go



The publicity for this event in Edinburgh was brilliant, every pub, every bus stop, every taxi, every train, the hotel, the restaurants, everyone was talking Rugby League.

It was a fantastic effort by genuine fans to bring Rugby League to Edinburgh, an it worked. It really felt great to be part of promoting my sport

Chanting with Catalan fans on the Streets of Edinburgh FFS, it doesn't get any better



Well done the RFL and the SRU







Then I come on here and read such dross from people who really can't be bothered, and thats what it's about. All the doubters just can't get off their backsides to give it their all for their sport--pathetic

No you're right, they aren't likely to say its a waste of time, by all accounts that Scottish Rugby journo actually enjoyed himself and I have no doubt that hoteliers, bar owners and many other retailers did too.

So does that all answer your silly questions back on page one ?




Exactly.

I didn't go for a myriad of reasons, but I don't feel the need to have a go at something that is clearly enjoyed by a large number of RL supporters, and is a commercial success - what sort of fool would ?

7 very entertaining games.

Full TV coverage.

The opportunity for "new" customers to sample the "product" at a very competitive rate.

Those who didn't watch it or go to the games are the ones losing out.

One of the things that isn't quantifiable, at the moment is "eyes on the box" which is the ONLY thing SKy TV are concerned about so that advertising rates can be sorted.

If in their eyes it has been a worthwhile exercise then it has paid off and when it comes to renegotiating the TV contract ( most of RL funding comes from that I reckon direct;y/indirectly) then it an advantage.

Mr Graham is clearly not very bright, best thing we can do as a sport is shut him up



As far as i'm concerned he should be dragged before the RFL for his comments, absolute disgrace for a player earning a great living that otherwise would struggle to stack shelves



I want people to speak that represent my sport, clearly this muppet doesn't

At the minute i have no idea whether it was a success for Sky, the scottish economy, the Rfl, the scottish public or the face of RL in Scotland.

I do know that me and my family had an absolutely FANTASTIC time and that for atmosphere and meeting other fans it is 10 times better than the CC.

yesterday i enjoyed the Giants game, then went to sit behind the posts with a lot of Hul fc fans , groups of Cas and Leeds fans and a gorgeous girl from HKR.

Then went to sit with all the Catalans fans in the west stand for their game.
Before sitting between the HKR fans and the Wire fans in the East stand.

ABSOLUTELY FANBLOODYTASTIC DAY

I hope you eventually found a set of fans willing to let you stay.

I am neither really for or against MM, however if the event was 'dry' I bet no-one would turn up.

It's just a 2 day drinkathon.

Yeh because we all take the wife and kids on the lash for a couple of days don't we

I was one of those who didn't go as I couldn't justify the cost and time with other family commitments. I went to Cardiff and watching the TV this weekend the general atmosphere seemed better, the crowd shots certainly showed a lot of mixing of club colours. Even the two sets of Hull fans seemed to be standing together in places.

I love the weekend and hope to make future ones. The only negative of this weekened was RLFans down all day Sunday.

Where you in a different City to me? I was shocked how little was known locally about what was going on. The only ones I saw talking rugby league were the fans who had gone up for the weekend I certainly wasn't convinced any publicity had been done for the event locally we were asked on a number of occasions what was going on, or which union sides were playing!

Personally I think Cardiff was a much better choice for the weekend and would have liked to have seen it stay there for a few more years before moving on to allow it to properly develop.

No we dont.

We stayed at home, my lad cant do 2 days in a boozer surrounded by drinkers.

I didn't see people talking, I heard them. I got talking to lots of Scots and a few Irish lads and they were all absolutely superb and knew what the magic weekend was about. Advertising was all over the place. It was noticable there were a number Scots in the ground too.


As for Cardiff for a choice for the weekend..on what grounds? The WRU didn't lift a finger, and thats one of the main reasons the RFL chose Edinburgh

It seemed to me Cardiff was a hell of a lot more prepared for the event a lot more locals in wales seemed to know what was happening from the people we spoke to we encountered a lot more locals in Scotland who didn't know what was happening, the only ones who seemed to be aware were wearing club colours which would suggest they were fans of the sport already who live in Scotland rather than converts to the sport.

The stadium in Cardiff is much better location wise and the fact the roof closes if poor weather is a massive bonus. If it had rained this weekend then it would have been a massive washout with very little to do around the ground (most people when they headed up that way seemed to be sat outside the stadium on the grass or stood in the beer garden of one of the few hotels with bars opened) and the pitch wouldn't have coped with 7 games.

Getting to and from the stadium - especially after the last game of the day - from the City Centre wasn't easy, why hadn't shuttle buses been put on to help the fans getting away? There seemed to be nothing more than the normal bus service which couldn't cope with the volume of people wanting to use it meaning most people seemed to end up walking the 40 mins back to the city centre, again its a good job the weather was dry!

Add to that the fact that the whole city centre seemed to be being dug up, and the race taking place on Sunday morning it just seemed to me that the whole thing was badly thought out when it came to moving the event.

I enjoyed the weekend but I personally am not convinced that Edinburgh is a better choice than Cardiff was.

Whine whine whine, generally Edinburgh is a much better city for tourists and visitors than cardiff, I bet there were a lot less problems getting weekend acomodation that Cardiff

Your just upset Saints lost.

thats exactly what i've said to people who are moaning about it - i've been (to Cardiff) and experienced it, they haven't.
Until you have been then it will seem rubbish on TV with loads of empty seats, but when your there it doesn't matter its like one giant RL party and anyone is invited - fair enouh, some people dont like the idea but i do and i thinkits great !!!

Nowt to do with losing, I said about them not being aware what was happening on Friday night soon after we arrived and nothing happened to change that view.

And the accommodation we got in Cardiff for the same price was much better, but we have never struggled getting accommodation at either due to being organised and booking well in advance.

The attendance alone means it should be scraped and never ever done again. It's an absolute farce. The Saints players should have handled their distain for the non-event a bit more professionally, but you can bet they weren't the only ones who didn't want to be there.

The attendance looked quite respectable on tv both days for the last games (no thanks to some convenient scheduling, but good anyway).

anyone who thinks 30000 looks bad in murrayfield should take a look when edinburgh are playing and see how 4000 every other week looks.

Considering part of the reason for the Magic weekend is to help expand the game and to hopefully get a Championship club in Scotland having a match in an almost empty stadium is a good indicator of what we would end up with , so from that point of view it should be seen as a success



It will be interesting to see how well attended the Championship version is later in the year

Does the job description for 'Professional Rugby League Player' include playing scheduled rugby league matches? If you don't like the job, get another. I expect he'll turn down an opportunity to play for England anywhere outside the M62 corridor then - don't want to travel or anything awful like that.

Why? Has it got a growth on it or something?




Personally, I'd say an attendance of 59,749 – and yes it includes people who attended both days because, well, they attended both days – is not too bad in "The worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s" as everyone keeps telling us. [url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/05/03/RUGBYL_Magic.htmlThe organisers seem happy as well[/url.

I didn't go this year for a number of reasons, but one thing I know from the last two years [url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/05/02/manual_211115.htmlIt's a good festival of rugby league[/url, with the chance to mix with fans from across the SL (and championship clubs) and even people new to the sport and watch games you normally wouldn't get a chance to.

errr - no it's not. Though if it was, 6,000 ticket sales in Scotland wouldn't count as a 'disaster' – except in the world of professional Micawbers

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