"On the Road" games coming back?

[Futtocks]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/super-leagues-biggest-games-could-head-to-neutral-venues-to-boost-rugby-league-profile

Some of Super League’s biggest domestic games could be taken on the road to bigger venues in the years to come as part of the wider plan to take the competition to new markets and attract new supporters into rugby league, Love Rugby League has been told.

Edited February 20 by Futtocks

[Shaggy]

I've not read the article.

Is the word "could" doing a lot of heavy lifting?

[Futtocks]

5 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

I've not read the article.

Is the word "could" doing a lot of heavy lifting?

Not really. But there's more detail in the article. They are looking at alternatives to Magic Weekend.

[Tommygilf]

4 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Not really. But there's more detail in the article. They are looking at alternatives to Magic Weekend.

Seems they have been reading my proposals for big loop fixtures! Wigan vs Saints in Manchester? 

Not sure how well something like a Hull Derby would do elsewhere though.

[sam4731]

7 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Seems they have been reading my proposals for big loop fixtures! Wigan vs Saints in Manchester? 

Not sure how well something like a Hull Derby would do elsewhere though.

I'd welcome each team taking a home game on the road, with a split which rotates each year.

Current SL teams:

Castleford - Bramall Lane

Huddersfield- Hillsborough

Leeds- Elland Road

St Helens- Anfield

Wigan- Etihad

Warrington- Everton New Ground

Catalans- Paris

Salford- Bolton Stadium

London- Craven Cottage

Leigh- Stoke Stadium

Hull FC- Riverside Stadium

Hull KR- Stadium of Light

 

[Dave T]

I loved the On the Road games from years back, I had an outstanding weekend in South Wales. 

I broadly welcome this initiative, but we do need to be careful and do this with some care. 

There is a very real risk of simply moving games to Anfield, Everton etc and getting 10k rattling round in there. I went to a Saints v Wire game at Annfield years ago, and such small crowds in huge grounds aren't good experiences. 

I think to make these kind of things a success you have to throw lots of resources at them, we've seen at Magic, even with great value and multiple games, they don't appeal to many thousands of locals. 

I think in the short term we have some natural options, like Elland Road, Barcelona and places in France, but I think it would be difficult to make a case for too many other cities around the UK. Modest grounds, getting 10k in is maybe the aim. 

[iffleyox]

2 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'd welcome each team taking a home game on the road, with a split which rotates each year.

Current SL teams:

Castleford - Bramall Lane

Huddersfield- Hillsborough

Leeds- Elland Road

St Helens- Anfield

Wigan- Etihad

Warrington- Everton New Ground

Catalans- Paris

Salford- Bolton Stadium

London- Craven Cottage

Leigh- Stoke Stadium

Hull FC- Riverside Stadium

Hull KR- Stadium of Light

 

as ever though this comes back to the age-old argument about what they're being taken on the road for - is it different venues in the heartlands, or on their periphery, or is it new territory? Your list works for the former, but as an RL starved southerner I'd like to throw some, any or all of the following into the mix:

Stadium MK, CBS Stadium Coventry, Ashton Gate, St Marys, Home Park 

I get that its the ultimate pins in a map pitch, but there's a difference between taking games 'on the road' and taking games 'down the road/round the corner'

[OriginalMrC]

2 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'd welcome each team taking a home game on the road, with a split which rotates each year.

Current SL teams:

Castleford - Bramall Lane

Huddersfield- Hillsborough

Leeds- Elland Road

St Helens- Anfield

Wigan- Etihad

Warrington- Everton New Ground

Catalans- Paris

Salford- Bolton Stadium

London- Craven Cottage

Leigh- Stoke Stadium

Hull FC- Riverside Stadium

Hull KR- Stadium of Light

 

Not really on the road if they all play games near their home stadium

[OriginalMrC]

Played a warm up match in Leicester many years ago for an on the road game. Would love to see them return 

[Dave T]

I know double headers are often frowned upon, but I do think for On the Road games they can work in terms of getting fans together, pooling resources, making more of a festival of it. In the right locations they could work quite nicely imo. 

I do think if they are looking at getting rid of Magic, this is a route I'd go down, 3 venues each year hosting the 6 games over different weekends over the summer months. 

[The Future is League]

17 hours ago, Futtocks said:

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/super-leagues-biggest-games-could-head-to-neutral-venues-to-boost-rugby-league-profile

Some of Super League’s biggest domestic games could be taken on the road to bigger venues in the years to come as part of the wider plan to take the competition to new markets and attract new supporters into rugby league, Love Rugby League has been told.

Were they a success before or did they lose money?

[RP London]

I like the idea of on the road games.. have to be really "sold" though and done well.. 

its also good IMHO to have 1 "home team" at the same venue for a while to encourage people in that area to maybe start supporting them and therefore expanding the reach of that club... it could/should also include something around amateurs and juniors (but this is more long term)...

the NFL do this really well with London and now other international venues building the interactions with the locals and in London's case having a "home team" in jacksonville. 

There are a number of clubs who have a period of time they cannot play at home due to shared stadiums so it can work with those clubs and not feel like we are second class citizens at those grounds.. 

[RP London]

3 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'd welcome each team taking a home game on the road, with a split which rotates each year.

Current SL teams:

Castleford - Bramall Lane

Huddersfield- Hillsborough

Leeds- Elland Road

St Helens- Anfield

Wigan- Etihad

Warrington- Everton New Ground

Catalans- Paris

Salford- Bolton Stadium

London- Craven Cottage

Leigh- Stoke Stadium

Hull FC- Riverside Stadium

Hull KR- Stadium of Light

 

DO NOT BRING HUDDERSFIELD TO SHEFFIELD AS A HOME TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jim_57]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

I know double headers are often frowned upon, but I do think for On the Road games they can work in terms of getting fans together, pooling resources, making more of a festival of it. In the right locations they could work quite nicely imo. 

I do think if they are looking at getting rid of Magic, this is a route I'd go down, 3 venues each year hosting the 6 games over different weekends over the summer months. 
 

That was my first thought as well, maybe even involve a championship game at each to make each one like a one day “magic” and get a few extra fans along.

[jim_57]

NRL interested in involving Super League in future games in America too.
 

“The other one that we're going to look at is Super League itself, because our research has shown that the biggest travellers are English.

“To take a Super League game there, as well, would generate a lot more people coming from England to the US.”

[Futtocks]

14 minutes ago, RP London said:

DO NOT BRING HUDDERSFIELD TO SHEFFIELD AS A HOME TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or Hull FC to Gateshead?

[Futtocks]

19 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Were they a success before or did they lose money?

I think some were successful*, but achieved nothing beyond the event itself, as there was often no grassroots RL in the vicinity of the OTR game. Things have changed a bit on that front.

*Wigan v St Helens in Swansea drew a decent crowd, for instance.

[RP London]

6 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Or Hull FC to Gateshead?

 yep thats probably another one to avoid!

[RP London]

3 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I think some were successful*, but achieved nothing beyond the event itself, as there was often no grassroots RL in the vicinity of the OTR game. Things have changed a bit on that front.

*Wigan v St Helens in Swansea drew a decent crowd, for instance.

also it has to be a longer term plan than just a single game etc.. but I know thats not very RL!

[Spidey]

13 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

NRL interested in involving Super League in future games in America too.
 

“The other one that we're going to look at is Super League itself, because our research has shown that the biggest travellers are English.

“To take a Super League game there, as well, would generate a lot more people coming from England to the US.”

Great to see them acknowledge that anything that's not Aussie domestic RL or State of Origin they need the English to make it a success

[sam4731]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

I loved the On the Road games from years back, I had an outstanding weekend in South Wales. 

I broadly welcome this initiative, but we do need to be careful and do this with some care. 

There is a very real risk of simply moving games to Anfield, Everton etc and getting 10k rattling round in there. I went to a Saints v Wire game at Annfield years ago, and such small crowds in huge grounds aren't good experiences. 

I think to make these kind of things a success you have to throw lots of resources at them, we've seen at Magic, even with great value and multiple games, they don't appeal to many thousands of locals. 

I think in the short term we have some natural options, like Elland Road, Barcelona and places in France, but I think it would be difficult to make a case for too many other cities around the UK. Modest grounds, getting 10k in is maybe the aim. 

I actually think taking Catalans back to the Camp Nou every year is really important. Massive lost opportunity after their only foray there.

[N2022]

3 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'd welcome each team taking a home game on the road, with a split which rotates each year.

Current SL teams:

Castleford - Bramall Lane

Huddersfield- Hillsborough

Leeds- Elland Road

St Helens- Anfield

Wigan- Etihad

Warrington- Everton New Ground

Catalans- Paris

Salford- Bolton Stadium

London- Craven Cottage

Leigh- Stoke Stadium

Hull FC- Riverside Stadium

Hull KR- Stadium of Light

 

A nice conversation starter, but there are some very different and problematic scenarios there. In terms of stadium direction, size and distance. Why would you want both Hull sides schlepping up to the North East. Why Paris for Catalans?  And as others have said risk of upsetting fans where there is an inter-town or city rivalry, and maybe a non-SL side that would resent another club poaching what support it has. As for Leeds, Elland Rd is a pain to get to and, like many other football grounds on here, only worth doing if a near sellout.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

I loved the On the Road games from years back, I had an outstanding weekend in South Wales. 

I broadly welcome this initiative, but we do need to be careful and do this with some care. 

There is a very real risk of simply moving games to Anfield, Everton etc and getting 10k rattling round in there. I went to a Saints v Wire game at Annfield years ago, and such small crowds in huge grounds aren't good experiences. 

I think to make these kind of things a success you have to throw lots of resources at them, we've seen at Magic, even with great value and multiple games, they don't appeal to many thousands of locals. 

I think in the short term we have some natural options, like Elland Road, Barcelona and places in France, but I think it would be difficult to make a case for too many other cities around the UK. Modest grounds, getting 10k in is maybe the aim. 

Brentford should be in this conversation 

[jim_57]

15 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Great to see them acknowledge that anything that's not Aussie domestic RL or State of Origin they need the English to make it a success

It’s an interesting quote, not sure if they mean the NRL involving Super League by giving them a spot in Vegas or encouraging them to play a game in America the same weekend so they can market Vegas to those fans.

Unless they plan on making Vegas a triple header I’d imagine it’s the latter.

[iffleyox]

3 hours ago, N2022 said:

 And as others have said risk of upsetting fans where there is an inter-town or city rivalry

I'm not totally sure that was the issue being highlighted in the case of Huddersfield/Sheffield....