what is the temperature like in the stadium when its freezing cold outside? do they have a heating system?

Big mistake in my opinion, not the move, fully in favour of going back to Cardiff, but the timing is very poor in my opinion. No campsites open (how many of us stayed at Trecco Bay last time?), Valentine's Weekend, places guaranteed to up prices (take my word for it it's my wedding anniversary and it happens every year) and a normal weekend when everyone has to be back at work/school on the Monday. Imagine having that last game on the Sunday and then having to drive home and get up for work the next day. Had it been a week later it would have been half term and I'm sure more people with kids would have gone if they didn't have to have the kids back at school on Monday. All this is without taking the weather into consideration, we had heavy snow around that time this year, could affect travel arrangements for everyone.

You clearly never had to travel down south last winter, and I seem to recall my mate having 4 flights cancelled to various parts of the UK in feb.

IMO it wont be a good crowd. I doubt i'll go simply because I dont want to have to spend all that money that early in the year. Maybe not as rich as some of you but after paying for a season ticket and christmas, ive not exactly got a lot of spare cash to spend on a weekend away in feb and I doubt im the only one.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Stadium "The lower tier holds approximately 23,500 spectators, the middle tier holding 18,000 and the upper tier holding 33,000 spectators" I'd definitely look to fill the bottom two tiers and then take it from there. Can't see us selling those out but worth a try and gives a feeling of it being full without being so.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Stadium "The lower tier holds approximately 23,500 spectators, the middle tier holding 18,000 and the upper tier holding 33,000 spectators" I'd definitely look to fill the bottom two tiers and then take it from there. Can't see us selling those out but worth a try and gives a feeling of it being full without being so.

When i went for the Wales Rally GB in December a couple of years ago it wasn't too bad & that had a similar crowd in as we got for the last MM



No, they breed 'em hard in the Valleys

Why does it need to be a season opener? I seriously doubt the crowd will be any higher than before. We may have had no rugby for 4 months but if we wait one more week we can watch our teams without having to pay for hotels, travel to Cardiff etc. I dont want to miss a derby game but more than likely I will do, but its poor choice of location for that weekend and time of year. Like a previous post stated if you team is the last one on sunday, you then have a long drive home and maybe work the next day.

You could take that attitude for any of the Magic Weekends though and is probably one of the main reasons a lot have been a lot lower supported than they could have been.

How can you say it is a poor location for that weekend and time of year? Which other stadium could stage this successfully in February, for example if it is raining all weekend?

No offence to crusaders or leeds but i'd rather the magic weekend be the start of the season than their match which kicked off this years season. It's all about promoting and making people aware of the game which i'm sure will give the start of the season the big kickstart it deserves.

6 weeks after Christmas, Valentines Day weekend, well done RFL.

Even though I do love our Super League's traditional annual curtain raiser of us v. Leeds I much prefer Super League starting with a bang and maximum media exposure as opposed to a frosty whimper.

My point was that you think there would be a good crowd just because we havent had rugby for 4 months, and all im saying is that I dont think it will because we can all go the week after for alot less money.

Its a poor location mainly because of the time of year. Its not a long weekend, its long way to in cold weather to watch rugby and as stated before if your game is the last on sunday its a hell of long way back on a sunday evening. Coming up to summer I would deffinately go. I just dont like the idea in feb, everyones entitled to their opinions.

"What do you want for Christmas Jonny?"

"Millenium Magic tickets please"

It's 6 months away, not really an issue to book the Monday off work now is it?

Lots of supporters currently watch games on a sunday then have a long journey back home...........sorry, meant to say lots of supporters of the 3 non heartlands clubs have to do this, as well as having to takes days leave on Fridays in order to support their teams.

I do however agree with traces point about the camping sites, although it could be worth looking for deals from the caravan/chalet camp sites around the Cardiff area as i doubt they would be too heavily booked at that time of year.

arguably, its better than playing it at the climax of the soccer season as it has been in previous years.

Does anyone really care about Valentines Day weekend???? Do people actually really change their real life plans to avoid a clash with this made up festival???

i'm sure tickets will be on sale soon enough before Christmas to avoid any probs on that score, similarly for hotels - book and pay for it now if it is a problem in February. The RFL could even come up with some sort of Christmas Gift package, that people could buy for other fans.

If your only expenditure over Christmas is the equivalent to a few MM tickets then I feel sorry for you.

Stop being positive and making realistic suggestions, this is Rlfans after all.

As this thread is proving, if there's an excuse not to attend a game, a rugby league fan will find it.

Bejezzus no. Its bad enough that we have to put up with that auwful stadium for the occasional international.

another plus side - there is a chance that I might actually get to see the first game of the season this year, as anyone who was at the first game in the fog between Saints and Hull this year would agree with im sure.

Do you really think alot of people are going to want to do this? You may get a lot of holidays, but some of us dont and dont want to waste them because the RFL insist on us all going down to Cardiff in feb.



Yea your certainly talking about alot of people there.... unless im mistaken quins, catalans and crusader take sweet FA anywhere they go.

The majority of posts are in favour of the event and the timing. Did you actually read it before posting?

Don't feel sorry for me sunshine. I'm perfectly happy with what i'm getting for crimbo after today!

Will make next to no difference. Still that won't stop you having your usual argumentative whine.

This is a really good move by the RFL IMO.

Its outside of the tourist season (believe it or not people do holiday in Wales!), so any effect in the increase in hotel bookings for dirty weekends will be countered by that - its just outside of bleak money less January, so everybody is dying to go out and do something - its the first game of the season, so interest in the new squads will be peak and the media and forums will have had months to build it up.

I expect it will put 10 to 15,000 on the daily attendance.

Like you said it's about opinions. Whether Quins Catalans or Crusaders fans number in their ones or thousands is immaterial to the fact that every season sometimes they have to use their holiday allocations in order to watch their teams play on Fridays or Sundays, makes them no less supporters than any other teams fans.

Taking a days holiday on the Monday is an option, it's six months away so no biggie to book it either.......