I think the Football League Playoff finals are on the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May aren't they? In which case SKY won't want Magic Weekend then (and obviously they schedule the RFL calendar).

I agree with the point above about not wanting to sit and watch 4 games back-to-back so think it would be good to have a 'fan-zone' outside whichever ground it's at - this would provide extra entertainment, a chance to make more money, etc. A bit like the family fun-days at the Reebok for anyone that's been to one, but on a much bigger scale.

I also agree with the venue issue - Scotland is a dead horse that we need to stop flogging but there other non-heartland areas where RL is becoming increasingly popular (eg. Cov) that would benefit from such an event. Several such areas also boast smaller stadiums that we would have far more chance of filling.

I definitely agree with putting more attractive games (quite probably derbies) on that weekend, and with the idea of giving freebies out to local schools, etc. I also think the idea of having it as a 'season opener' could work well too.

I can understand the "why don't we just scrap it" arguement too, but don't feel the sport can afford to lose such a showpiece occasion when we have so few.

I am in favour of a magic weekend, hopefully there will be people who ahve seen teamst they might just go and see live in the future. As for numbers maybe the recession has had an effect, also are Sky's viewing figures up?

The problem being the uptake on fans in Edinburgh following Leeds or Saints (or any other SL team) is going to be very very small.

For me scrap it altogether for a few years as its a tired format sliding a little.

Put Warrington v W!gan on in Swansea but have South Wales v AN Other as the curtain raiser.

Leeds v Bradford in Derby with Sheffield v AN Other as the curtain raiser.

Hull v Hull KR in Newcastle with Gateshead v AN Other as the curtain raiser.

3 guarenteed good gates that also involve teams local people will have heard of and also a chance to see a local team in action they have probably never heard of in case they want to carry on that interest in the game (with the emphasis on these fixtures being get in touch / come down and see your local RL team).

A telling point you make is at the end.
I suppose the question is do the people that pay all the money and effectively own the game view a sp(ish)stadium as success or a decent TV figures as success.

If "spreading the word" is one of the main factors driving the so called Magic Weekend then why not try a little closer to home now that Scotland has been shown as lower than expected (by the rfl) turn out from locals. Surely there are venues that could be used better in say Liverpool or Birmingham or even Manchester for that matter.I am sure those venues would have the infrastructure to be able to entertain people during and between games, whilst also being able to accomodate people who stay for the whole weekend. I just think their is more chance of building fans by gradualy moving out from our tradional borders. It surprises me that there is no RL so to speak of in Liverpool or the Midlands or Manchester (save Salford) .

This is an extra fixture though. They still have the 15000+ fixture that you say. Its a 'bonus' which a lot of people seem to enjoy. If leigh were in SL i'd love to spend a weekend watching rugby. However it should go back to cardiff and derbies.

In 6 years when Basil has lead us to glory I would love to spend a weekend in Cardiff Watching:

Wigan V Saints
Hull V Hull KR
Leeds V Bradford
Leigh V Salford
Cas V Wakey
Widnes V Wire
Cats V Crusaders
Huddersfield V Halifax

The idea is fantastic, so far the execution has been poor.

I'm sure its a great weekend on the lash for those who go, but I doubt that was top of the priority list for the RFL's when they introduced it.



Toulouse is a good drink too but I'm not sure I'll be dancing in the streets if they get a nod over us next time round.

What is it with RL fans that as soon as something appears to be a flop, they're actually cheering the fact? Wierd... no wonder we're a dying sport.

It should be the first weekend of the year, a season opener, and should go back to local derbies.

So its my fault the game is dying, get a grip. If we had cracked London spreading the game would have been easier, the media have had many years to get interested in the sport and they still can't give a toss, we are in South Wales, oh no sorry that didn't work....again, but the team moved up to nearer the heartlands. We are in London....more people in the North of England know this than people who actually live in London. I would love the game to become more than a minority sport. Terrestrial TV would give us more of a chance to spread the word but SKY have a monopoly, even the last remaining bastion of RL on terrestrial TV, the Challenge Cup will more than likely disappear to pay TV and a vastly reduced audience. No one can or even will offer even half what SKY give SL teams at the moment. When is the contract up for renewal? and what odds it will be a lower offer than this one. Will the RFL be able to afford to refuse Skys offer, I doubt it

imagine this on Sky.
Eddie Hemmings "well Stevo, it's not been a great turn out at Murrayfield Magic has it, i bet only 2% of the fans were Scots, so it kinda defeats the object"
"Yes Eddie, it has been a poor turn out, and overall a 'worthless' excercise"

HA HA HA

OR will it just be the typical SKY/RFL method of sell sell/promote/ignore the facts

me thinks the latter.

If the RL are so keen to stage a weekender to promote and open up the game to the masses, why not try a 20/20 style competition (20 minute halves) to be held at a suitable venue over two days on one of the May Bank Holiday weekends?

16 teams (14 Super League & NRC Winners & CCGF Winners) in a straight knockout with the first round to be played on Saturday and Quarters, Semis & Final to be played on Sunday. That would be 15 x 40 minute games over 2 days.

With the added playing time for the teams that progress to the later rounds, the draw would need to be structured in such a way to maximise rest times between rounds. Rules re subs would also need to be tailored (eg 10 per game) and clubs could take larger squads to the event (eg 30 per squad).

For me, it could open a whole new facet to our game, and may open up RL to more floating viewers. Look what 20/20 did for cricket.

Clubs may find that they adapt better to a shorter version of the game and this could potentially break up the status quo of clubs that win the CC & SL each year.

Given the gruelling nature of winning over 160 minutes in 2 days, teams would be forced to rotate using some youngsters. I think it could do wonders for a young players development to come up against a Gidley or a Menzies.

For me it's a winner. A whole new brand of RL to showcase and a new competition for clubs to play for, which the game needs IMO.

Correct so why not do it at Old Trafford and get 77500 there ?

Or Saturday Hull v HKR Bradford V Leeds then Wire v Widnes.

Sunday Wigan v Saints Batley v Dewsbury Cas v Featherstone and us re Fax.



At least the place might be full.

I think there's a key point in there - expansion should've been done from the heartlands out, not by randomly picking big cities and trying to impose RL on them. I suppose South Wales could've been seen as a different case because of their previous links with RL but places like Paris, Gateshead and London were/are never going to get huge amounts of interest.

Therefore, the next Magic Weekend could perhaps be in a city on the outskirts of RL heartlands, where RL is at least a recognised sport - Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, etc.

Still like the idea of the Ricoh Arena though. Also like the idea of Championship AND SL games over the same weekend.

EDIT: Mate of mine just suggested two Magic Weekend to be played at the same time - one in Yorkshire, one in Lancs - for all SL and Champ/C1 sides in that county, with teams from other areas divided up as appropriate. Quite like that for an idea too - in fact, anything that's not Murrayfield sounds good tbh?!

wonder how many individuals attended both days as this gives a false reading as to how many fans actually attended the magic weekend. this is one figure not published by the RFL
Sick of getting emails about it from the RFL, wonder if they will plug the Blackpool weekend amongst fans of SL clubs?

SL event , so basically couldn't care less if it is a roaring success or an abysmall failure

and that my friend, is exactly my point of view. I really couldn't give a toss how it panned out!

It's obvious that you're not interested in the Magic Weekend frmo the fact that you took the trouble to go onto another club's forum, open a thread about the weekend, read it and then post a comment?!



Still, I can understand the excitement of being able to post on internet forums getting the better of you, especially as the novelty of having electricity in Rawmarsh hasn't worn off yet!

by, your prose is a credit to the education system!!! Thi mam'll be really proud!!

if you're going to use the vernacular, do it properly and I'll be reet proud.

well, rarnd rovrum it'd bi [ureight [/uprowd!!!

If my Mam was proud of my educational work when I was at school, she would've given me a big pat on the back.

If your Mam was proud of your educational work when you were at school, she would've passed you a burger through the school fence!

not at my school owd cock! I was in the same form as william hague at wath grammar school 72-79!



my wife however, was indeed a student of said sheeite hole!

Apologies for turning this thread into FriendsReunited but you'll have been at school with my brother and sister in law, but left two years before my wife started - dnitely no burgers through fences there though, admittedly, not even since it was re-built!

go on then! Name and shame - who's your bro and sister in law??

Total attendance over 2 days in a national capital of a country that has no pro RL = over 50,000
Revenue generated for the game = ticketsales (?£half a million or more) plus tv money (?tens of thousands)
Media coverage = all weekend on Sky, most of the weekend on 5live, fair amount in the national newspapers

Not a failure by any stretch. We are the only sport that does anything like this at its highest level... Twickenham's 7s is the closest elsewhere... imagine soccer trying to get the fans from all its Premier League clubs to hang out in one arena? Lol. The event does an awful lot to promote RL as a family sport, and as an innovative and attractive sport. Empty seats don't reflect badly precisely because there are so many games in a short space of time (same as Twickenham's sevens, in fact...).

Capitals (Edinburgh, Cardiff) have the hotel capacity to cope with Magic Weekend... not all that many other places do. Early season is too risky with the weather. Late May would compete with the footie playoffs for airtime.

The event is great, and successful, which isn't to say it couldn't be better and bigger, but let's get some sense of perspective rather than just knocking our sport for doing something different. It makes money, raises profile, projects the right image, and the people who go (almost 4 times the average for a single SL game) enjoy it. I don't see it as a development event for the host city per se, but much more a showcase which more than pays for itself and brings the values and skills of our game to a wider (media) audience.