A stadium is the home of a team, the whole essence of a town or a city where people congregate on match days to watch their beloved side.
Throughout the years, there have been some iconic names for venues across the First Division and then Super League when it came into being in 1996.
With Warrington naming their stadium, the Luke Littler Stadium for one night only ahead of their 18-12 victory over Catalans Dragons last weekend, we took a look at the five most unusual and unique Super League stadium names of the summer era.
PROBIZ Coliseum – Castleford Tigers
Wheldon Road is the name which the majority of Castleford fans associate with the Tigers, but back in 2000, the ground was named The Jungle. But, in 2010, thanks to new PROBIZ sponsor Feisal Nahaboo, the venue was renamed the PROBIZ Coliseum. Nahaboo’s company was also adorned across the front of the Tigers’ shirts with a new stadium appearing on the horizon. However, the businessman upped sticks and left for local rivals Featherstone Rovers, with Castleford’s stadium being known as the Wish Communications Stadium in 2013 and then the Mend-a-Hose Jungle from 2014.
The Boulevard – Hull FC
Hull FC moved into their new venue, the MKM Stadium, for the 2003 Super League season, but, prior to that, they had plied their trade at the country-renowned Boulevard. The name itself would generate fear into the hearts of opponents who knew they would be in for a tough reception. The Black and Whites used The Boulevard between 1895 and 2002, with the venue one of the most iconic in rugby league. Interestingly, a boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, but The Boulevard was given its name from the road it joined on to.
Mobile Rocket Stadium – Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield have had their fair share of unique stadium names since the creation of Super League back in 1996, but one of their most iconic was the Mobile Rocket Stadium. Used as the venue’s sponsor name between 2018 and 2021, the Mobile Rocket existed for just four seasons before being given the Be Well Support Stadium for 2022 and the DIY Kitchens Stadium from 2023. According to the Mobile Rocket website, the company “designs and builds unique mobile apps for recruiters that offer a remote, streamline solution so you can easily manage talent acquisition.”
Totally Wicked Stadium – St Helens
Home of the reigning Super League champions, the Totally Wicked Stadium has been in play since the 2017 season when St Helens signed a five-year deal with Totally Wicked, a vaping and e-cigarettes company. Prior to that, primary developers, the Langtree Group, had held the stadium naming rights with the new build taking the name Langtree Park from 2012 onwards. The name has been made even more famous by the success of the rugby league side which can only have been very good from a business point of view.
Stade Gilbert Brutus – Catalans Dragons
Some people may not know this, but Catalans Dragons’ Stade Gilbert Brutus is actually named after a person – and a rather famous one at that. Gilbert Brutus was actually a French rugby union player, coach, chairman and a referee before becoming part of the French Resistance during World War Two. Born in Port-Vendres, a typical Mediterranean fishing port, Brutus was murdered by the Gestapo – the German Secret Police – in March 1944 in Perpignan. The Stade Gilbert Brutus therefore perhaps has the best and most emotional story behind its stadium name.