New venue for Kingstone Press Championships Finals Day

[Honor James]

#rlchampionships

The 2013 Kingstone Press Championships Finals Day will be staged at the superbly-appointed Leigh Sports Village on Sunday September 29.

The deciding weekend of the 2013 season will once again have a celebratory feel with three matches - the Rugby League Challenge Trophy final (12.00pm), the Kingstone Press Championship One play-off final (2.30) and the title-deciding Kingstone Press Championship Grand Final (5.00pm) – taking place at the 12,000-capacity venue.

It will be the first time the Championships Finals Day has been held at Leigh Sports Village, which will also host a Rugby League World Cup 2013 fixture in November between the Cook Islands and Tonga, who will be based at the stadium throughout the competition, and brings to an end a five-year relationship with previous host venue, The Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington.

“The Championships Finals Day has proven to be a day of great drama and excitement over recent seasons and I’m sure Leigh Sports Village will provide the perfect setting for more extraordinary Rugby League action in 2013,” said RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer.

“Leigh Sports Village is one of the top Rugby League stadiums in the country and has a proud tradition of hosting top-class events, including England internationals and Gillette Four Nations games.

“I look forward to witnessing an action-packed day of finals unfold at Leigh in front of a bumper crowd when the season comes to a climax this September.”

Gordon Johncox, managing director of Championship title sponsors Kingstone Press, said: “We have a great sense of excitement at Kingstone Press about the 2013 Championships Finals Day and we are all looking forward to what I am sure will be a sporting day to remember.

“We visited Leigh Sports Village last week when we met the Championships clubs for the first time and we were treated to a fantastic welcome. We are working with the RFL and the clubs to ensure that the fans attending the Kingstone Press Championship Finals Day will have a day of great excitement and top class Rugby League.”

Simon Toon, Chief Executive of Leigh Sports Village said: “Leigh Sports Village is delighted to have been chosen as the new venue for the Kingstone Press Championships Finals Day. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with The RFL following the success of the international matches held at the Sports Village.

“The competition has the full support of Wigan Council as well as the professional clubs in the Borough: Leigh Centurions and Wigan Warriors, and Swinton Lions who currently play their fixtures at the Sports Village. Leigh

Sports Village is located in one of the heartlands of the Rugby League community who, I am sure, will give the competition their full support.”

Trevor Barton MBE, CEO of Leigh Centurions said: “This is fantastic news for Leigh Sports Village and our wider community. With a Desso pitch, hi-definition lighting, four changing rooms and top class sports facilities, Leigh Sports Village is perfectly designed for this type of event and can easily accommodate three games one after the other and I know that all Leigh fans will warmly welcome every team that gets through to the Finals Day.”

Today’s development follows on from the announcement that The Shay in Halifax will host the 2013 Northern Rail Finals Day in July, when the Northern Rail Cup and the new Northern Rail Bowl will provide another highlight of an historic Championships season.

The 2013 season sees 14 clubs contest an expanding Kingstone Press Championship and an exciting new-look Kingstone Press Championship One which features three new clubs in Hemel Stags, University of Gloucestershire All Golds and Oxford.

Ticket prices and availability for the Kingstone Press Championships Finals Day at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday September 29 will be announced shortly.

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Nathan Clarke

Media Executive