CASTLEFORD hope to have the Princess Street end of the Jungle fully seated by May.
At present, the covered section of the main stand is the only part of the Tigers’ Wheldon Road home with seating, and the rest is standing-only.
But 1,719 seats have been ordered to fill the Princess Street terrace on the west side of the ground, with a target for them to be in place by St Helens’ visit on May 10.
The move will take the stadium above the mark of 2,000 permanent seats, one of nine criteria required for the maximum facilities score under the new club-grading system.
It will also bring Castleford close to that required figure while a new main stand is being built, under the wider redevelopment plans that were recently approved by Wakefield Council.
While those plans are with government for final review – after which £12.2m of funding will be available – the club is using the £2m made available from the council’s Rugby League Resilience Fund for more immediate improvements.
The club intend to increase the number of sponsors’ seats to reach the required minimum of 200, and construct an enclosed directors’ box, by the end of this season as required for the total facilities score, which earns a whole point out of the 20 available under club grading.
They are continuing to consider options for a TV studio space and media facilities to reach the standard required for that score.
The Tigers have also ordered a permanent big screen, which could be in place by their home game against London on April 26, and would separately earn 0.125 points.
They would gain the same number for the installation of LED advertising boards around three sides of the ground, although the club is still costing this.
With Castleford placed 13th of all clubs in the indicative rankings released after the 2023 season (albeit with a submission error, the club claiming they should in fact have been eleventh), every minor improvement could be crucial to a place in the top twelve that would secure their Super League spot for 2025.
In addition, Castleford intend to install new turnstiles and fencing, upgrade toilets and resurface around the stadium and its car park over the coming months.
