I am not a Stephen Jones fan, but I am sad to say that a lot of this quote is true. The promotion and advertising is laughable and as a sport we don't seem to have a clue about how to sell an occasion to people who are not already big fans of the clubs. I also don't have any idea as to whether or not the RFL as a coherent marketing strategy at all, but my guess would be that they don't. They are probably relying on the clubs and the clubs are probably relying on the RFL. Neither of them taking a major initiative.

Cardiff as a venue is perfect. February isn't.

In May, it's far more clement weather (I grew up in winter rugby, so I can do cold, but 4 games on the bounce can be pretty testing even with roof on), and it causes difficulty for the many people who camp rather than do hotels etc.

There's also a bank hol, which means you can have 2 full days of RL and socialising with fellow fans and leave your journey home until you've slept it off.

If they'd have kept it at Cardiff on the May bank hol, I firmly believe the crowds would have grown and grown.

But many were clamering for it to be the season opener to increase participation

I know, and it worked in respect of getting the season off to a good start as a spectacle - but one which I fear will be a TV event rather than making the effort to get there for the reasons I've already mentioned.

Wel considering SKY pay nearly 17 million a year for it , it isn't really surprising is it

Yes that's why the NR 9 s are so well attended at Lytham

My point was, though, that leaving it at the Bank Hol weekend in May would have seen crowds grow rather than fall.

The crowds increased for the second year in Cardiff, the atmosphere ran seamlessly from ground to pubs to hotels and campsites.

On a cold Feb weekend, with a long journey home after the final game on Sunday, it's a less attractive way to spend a weekend IMO.

I don't disagree , a friend of mine commented something similar at the weekend , they had tried to book late but were given a ridiculous quote , and as you said , camping is not really an option , but at the end of the day , it's not like the RFL to constantly change things is it

So enlighten us as to how you can achieve that?

Free pies and strippers.

I'm in.

Toughie this....but it could be done.
Second May Bank Holiday and either Wembley (maybe a bit too big to start with) or a 40k/50k wendyball stadium.
Late May gives the pitch plenty of time to recover before the ladies start kicking it around again....so no pitch problems there.
There are no shortage of cheaper hotel rooms at the wekends in London. Regardless of where you hold it, people will complain about the cost of a hotel room......you get what you pay for IMO!
Travelling from anywhere along the M62 to London has got to be easier than to Cardiff.
SELL THE BUGGERY OUT OF IT!
I agree with the earlier posters comments about the RFL not knowing how to promote their game properly, but If the Union Lot can fill Twickenham on boxing day or whenever for a single game of union (not a final, Not a double header, just a normal club game) then surely we can fill a 40 or 50k stadium in the capital.
Also, if it were to be played in London, maybe some of the 1,000,000 League fans that the RFL live there might roll up too.......just a thought.
Oh,,and free pies and strippers too

A coherent marketing strategy that involves all levels of Rugby League would be a start. There are several things that could be tried, but would take a little imagination, dynamic pricing being one of them. I would consider selling so many tickets at a certain price. Once we sell a high enough amount of them, we can crow about how successful the game is going to be record season tickets etc. Obviously, this idea that I wrote down in a few seconds has not been costed out yet, but where there is a will there is a way.

I agree with most of this. The only trouble with the May bank holidays in London are that the early one is still the football season and the late one is playy off finals season. Thus ruling out Wembley as I can't see the FA allowing 7 games on the first weekend just weeks before their finals programme which also includes the FA cup in the intrim period.
In terms of football stadiums which I assume you would be talking about as they are the only ones with suitable capacity. Early May is out due to football season still on. Arsenal's stadium would be my prefared choice. Its straight up from Euston, St Pancreas and Kings Cross on the tube. Also allows for overnight stays in cheaper and rural Hertfordshire if you don't want to stay in London. I just don't see an overly sensitive local community allowing for yet more disruption to their lives. I say this from knowledge having worked at the stadium and knowing what had to be done to placate the locals, as opposed to a random statement.
Spurs ground is not the best and only 35,000. Its not the best to travel to and does not have a great deal around it if you want to nip out in between games.
Upton Park, who knows what will happen to that now, but its got the same problems as the area around Spurs ground.
Chelsea's ground might be a starter, nice area reasonably good transport links, just very expensive area for accomodation and food and drink.
I can't see any other ground being suitable in London either in May or any other time of year, at least unil the Olympic stadium is built. Though lets face it with all this garbage about stadiums going under if the are multi purpose (Thats the talk from the Spurs camp and football journalists who have some fancyful blah about no atmosphere with an athletics track) the Olympic stadiummay just be an attractive concept. Though way out in East London it isn't going to help Quins in West London.

Has anyone thought about next years CC Final. Planned for the middle of the Olympics when Wembley is being used for football. Are we likely to have to go on the road ?

Powergen Challenge Cup final is on the bank holiday weekend at the end of August. The Olympics finishes on August 12. So should be no problem. The RFL have, in any case, a contract with Wembley.

Maybe this is a bit off topic. Don't know as this is my first post, but the talk of different venues for the Magic leads ME to think there is a need for our own stadium.

Don't all 'families' need a place of their own? On this basis RL should have it's own stadium.

I suggest a 50-55 thousand capacity (poss 65000-one seat to accommodate each and every regular SL goer in England), with a retractable roof to allow year-round use and the prospect of multi-team comps like the 'Magic' weekend.

Possible costs at today's 'rates'? My (inexpert) guess £30-40 million. Funding? Maybe a concerted effort across the board from clubs, fans, stakeholders etc., could raise the requirement before the end of the decade. Don't know if I'll still be here to witness it, but how good would that be to see England lifting the RL World Cup there in 2017?

Sorry if it's the wrong thread. Maybe one for the future.

means nowt...the FA have a bigger contract with wembley but have had the charity shield booted out of wembley next year..

Every event takes time. It was 50 years before the Challenge Cup Final attracted over 60,000. I'm not saying the Magic Weekend is in any way as prestigious as the CC, just showing it takes time for some annual sporting events to capture peoples imagination.

Keep it in Cardiff as the opening round, let it grow.

Does anyone know how many people from South Wales went to the event, or what the RFL did in South Wales with regards to marketing?

For a guy that hates League so much he bangs on about it enough.

=#4040FFHave it at the Olympic Stadium 2013 [uIN SUMMER [/u
Reasons for

1) The travel links will be fantastic

no thanks I had to go to Stratford yesterday. Central line was suspended. So had to go a different way.

Then this morning the Jub line was suspened at stratford no one had a clue what was going on.

The Jubilee keeps getting suspended because they're sorting it out for the Olympics. Also Crossrail is being built, and the North London Line actually works nowadays. Stratford, although still a hole, can't really be faulted on connectability.

And the Paralympics start 29th August. Ok after the BH weekend, but will the Olympic authorities want Wembley being used so close to the start. The Football for the able bodied games starts before the Olympics. So there is every possibility of the CC being turfed out for a year.

It can take time, but the GF grew as an event very quickly in its first 5 years. The MM has remained broadly static. Probably because its fully reached its target audience of RL fanatics and those wanting a boozy weekend with rugby.

You may have a point - although they do have the capability to turn the stadium round overnight - they had an athletics events on the day after the CC final a couple of years back.

The FA were asked if they minded moving the charity shield - they weren't booted out. They've also delayed the start of the premier league to avoid a clash. I wonder if the RFL has thought about scheduling against the Olympics next year?

I think MM has suffered somewhat by moving the weekend it's on and by having it at Murrayfield for two years.

Keep it as a season opener in Cardiff for a few more years, step up the marketing in South Wales (schools, discounts to those with RU 6 Nation tickets etc), perhaps even get a couple of games broadcast on BBC.