Why Elland Road works for Magic Weekend…this year at least
Super League’s Magic Weekend is upon us once again, and for the first time, it’s being hosted at Elland Road – home of Leeds United.
When the venue announcement was made several months ago, it was met with almost universal disapproval. Comments like, “there’s nothing around the ground”, “it’s too far from the city centre” and “the stadium’s old and run down” are hard to argue with. Personally, I agree with all of these points, and in some cases they’re not just opinions but facts.
However, I may be the only person who can understand where the higher-ups were coming from when they agreed to take Magic Weekend to Leeds.
Before I start defending them, there’s something very unclear to me. What is the purpose of Magic Weekend now?
In the early days, it was pretty clear – expand the game. For that reason, Cardiff was perfect. Rugby league has never exactly thrived in Wales, so taking one of the game’s showpiece events to the Millennium Stadium made a lot of sense in trying to draw in a new audience.
Similarly, Newcastle ticked the same box initially, and the fact they have a team in League One meant there was plenty of opportunity to promote Newcastle Thunder at the same time.
In recent years, however, I feel that the purpose of Magic Weekend has become harder to define. What was once an opportunity to showcase our great game to a new audience appears to have become an excuse for existing supporters to get on the p*ss and have a weekend away.
I’m not knocking this, and having attended a few Magic Weekends in the past, I personally love the carnival atmosphere it generates among existing fans.
I should also point out that the fixtures don’t do much to create a buzz for non-RL fans. The event was arguably at its best when it had a ‘derby’ format, but only one of this year’s games falls into that category (not that it’s Super League’s fault that Bradford Bulls are languishing in the Championship and denying us the chance to see them play Leeds again).
However, if the purpose of the event is still to draw in new fans, then surely Hull FC vs Hull KR is a must?
Which leads me back to my point about Elland Road and the purpose of Magic Weekend. To me, by hosting it in Leeds, Super League have effectively accepted that its main purpose now is to give existing fans an excuse for a pi*s-up this weekend.
After all, Leeds ticks plenty of boxes. It’s in the heartlands, so fans of most clubs are within easy reach of it, the city centre’s good for a night out after the first day, and there’ll be a big contingent of Rhinos fans, who have the second-best average attendance in 2024.
So, with all that in mind, maybe Elland Road was the best option for ensuring a decent crowd this year. Let’s not forget, rugby league has suffered more than most since the COVID pandemic. While football didn’t skip a beat, crowds flocked back and transfer fees shot back up to absurd levels, RL has had a tougher time getting back on its feet.
Perhaps one of the reasons why Super League chose Elland Road was because it’s a safe option. As much as fans are moaning about the lack of facilities nearby and claiming they’ll boycott it, there’ll still be a decent turnout on both days, especially Saturday.
Had they tried something more bold and daring, like Nottingham, as I’ve seen suggested, they could have just opened themselves up to a bigger financial black hole if it didn’t come off.
While rugby league in the UK has continued to keep its head above water since the pandemic, there appears to be far less optimism around the sport than there was five years ago and Super League probably can’t take as many risks as it might have done previously.
Cast your mind back to 2019. Liverpool had become the fifth city to host Magic Weekend and there were rumours that cities were queuing up to bid for the right to host it. Tottenham were supposedly interested in bringing it to their new stadium, which was then announced as one of the venues for the England v Australia tests in 2020.
Before that could happen though, COVID came along and we all know what happened then. So, maybe the powers that be are just playing it safe for now and sticking it in a city where they know there’ll be a good turnout.
It’s also worth pointing out that perhaps there weren’t many options to start with in 2024. Everyone loves to bang on about Newcastle, but maybe they were approached and simply said no. The Premier League kicks off this weekend, so it might be that they didn’t want their pitch getting churned up on day one.
If they did indeed say no, then what’s the next option? The Etihad? Who’s to say they didn’t just turn the request down as well. After all, it’s not like Manchester City’s owners need the money.
So, before everyone criticises Elland Road too much, bear in mind that maybe instead of being the best option, it was just the least worst option. It strikes me as a temporary fix as well, so there’s every chance this will be the one and only year there. So, instead of moaning, let’s get behind it.
And for everyone who still enjoys Magic Weekend as much as I do, we should be grateful to have it anywhere rather than not having it at all.
After all, it’s one of the few events we consistently do well.
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