Magic Weekend 2025

[JohnM]

Selfish view from me.

Leeds - no

London - no

Manchester - maybe, now we  live nearer.

1. Magic Weekend 2025, far away enough for me to make it worth a long weekend away - Edinburgh, Newcastle, Cardiff.  Not sure of Dublin....needs to be somewhere where it's easy and cheap for loyal club fans .

2. Make it a Festival of Rugby, not just 6 SL games. Pack it with festivities from Friday night right through to Sunday night.

3. Work hard to get as many hardened existing fans there as possible.

4. As covered on the topic about social media, get the marketing mix right and deliver it across all media, not just the day before.

5 er....that's it.

[N2022]

16 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Selfish view from me.

Leeds - no

London - no

Manchester - maybe, now we  live nearer.

1. Magic Weekend 2025, far away enough for me to make it worth a long weekend away - Edinburgh, Newcastle, Cardiff.  Not sure of Dublin....needs to be somewhere where it's easy and cheap for loyal club fans .

2. Make it a Festival of Rugby, not just 6 SL games. Pack it with festivities from Friday night right through to Sunday night.

3. Work hard to get as many hardened existing fans there as possible.

4. As covered on the topic about social media, get the marketing mix right and deliver it across all media, not just the day before.

5 er....that's it.

Seems fair. What do you envisage for rugby festivities? Genuine question. A tier 2 international? A junior/tag tournament in the mornings for grassroots clubs? Fan zone with challenges and freebies? I am.no.marketing person ' honestly wondering how you make it something more than 'just' 6 SL games in an appealing/ popilar way.

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, N2022 said:

Seems fair. What do you envisage for rugby festivities? Genuine question. A tier 2 international? A junior/tag tournament in the mornings for grassroots clubs? Fan zone with challenges and freebies? I am.no.marketing person ' honestly wondering how you make it something more than 'just' 6 SL games in an appealing/ popilar way.

I guess that I'm talking content here, with  the marketing being the key that unlocks to door to Magic Weekend, with sales pushing the punters through the now-open door. 

Fans zone open from 5 pm Friday till 7 pm Sunday: each SL club to have an exhibition booth with merch, competitions, etc  Other clubs also, but optional. RFL booth etc. incl "know the game" competition , how to become a player, ref etc.

Quite a few clubs are sponsored by Universities, so they could have recruiting  teams there, especially if Magic was a tad earlier than mid-August just before A level results.

Friday night games, Sat and Sun games 7s, 9s, schools etc.

Decent entertainment in and around the stadium, too. Music, stand-up, 

Anyway, my brain is itching with all this thinking so that's it for now.

Edited August 16 by JohnM

[Odsal Outlaw]

I think we’d be better off creating stand alone club events maybe as part of a ‘MagicSeries’.
 

For example … Leeds vs Cas at Elland Road, two weeks later Wigan vs Saints at Etihad, then two weeks later Hull FC vs KR in Newcastle.  As much as I dislike double headers you could make it more inclusive by adding a lower league game to the schedule (Hunslet in Leeds, Swinton at Etihad and Thunder in Newcastle)

Just an idea … probably needs more thought!

[iffleyox]

On 14/08/2024 at 22:04, shrewsbury roughyed said:

If the event is really going to be pushed, I can’t understand why the Championship and League One (not to mention Conference) matches are taking place. Why not organise it so there’s a free weekend, freeing a number of supporters to come. There’s no way I’m missing Oldham at Keighley for MW. Also unless Elland Road has improved since I vowed never to go there again after watching GB v Australia effectively from behind a pillar (as opposed to behind a cushion- which might have been advisable given the score line) and it sling 2 hours to get out of the so called parking lot. Hate the place.

I know we have the comfort blanket that ‘everyone’ is a fan of the game, rather than just their club, but I think it’s a massive stretch to abandon two thirds of a weekend’s fixtures and expect that therefore fans of affected clubs will think ‘you know what? I’m going to go and watch Super League instead.’

rather than ‘why are Super League screwing up my weekend?’

 

[Just Browny]

1 hour ago, iffleyox said:

I know we have the comfort blanket that ‘everyone’ is a fan of the game, rather than just their club, but I think it’s a massive stretch to abandon two thirds of a weekend’s fixtures and expect that therefore fans of affected clubs will think ‘you know what? I’m going to go and watch Super League instead.’

rather than ‘why are Super League screwing up my weekend?’

 

Agree. This is a strange mindset in RL, which can be filed alongside the one that runs: "we shouldn't have any games when the Premier League / Six Nations / Olympics / Euros etc" is on.

We need to attract new fans and be confident about our own products, not just try to wring out an extra £xxx from the existing ones.

[shrewsbury roughyed]

1 hour ago, Just Browny said:

Agree. This is a strange mindset in RL, which can be filed alongside the one that runs: "we shouldn't have any games when the Premier League / Six Nations / Olympics / Euros etc" is on.

We need to attract new fans and be confident about our own products, not just try to wring out an extra £xxx from the existing ones.

I fully understand what you're saying. I've been to Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle a number of times, full weekend each time, missing Oldham games. To Newcastle is a long round trip from the Midlands and I know of others who travel further. I just don't feel that excited by this one. I don't have Sky . Press RL coverage is minimal. This one just seems to have passed me by. I think you're right re the new fans; Magic Weekend was always meant to attract new people, but I've seen little evidence of it in terms of publicity. I'm not a whinger - I really hope it succeeds and it's a mystery to me how League isn't better loved by the general public. For the media this weekend barley seems to be happening. what the answer is I don't know. Show half the matches on terrestrial tv perhaps.

[Toby Chopra]

3 hours ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

I think we’d be better off creating stand alone club events maybe as part of a ‘MagicSeries’.
 

For example … Leeds vs Cas at Elland Road, two weeks later Wigan vs Saints at Etihad, then two weeks later Hull FC vs KR in Newcastle.  As much as I dislike double headers you could make it more inclusive by adding a lower league game to the schedule (Hunslet in Leeds, Swinton at Etihad and Thunder in Newcastle)

Just an idea … probably needs more thought!

I would prefer this than a whole weekend. I don't really want to watch more than a couple of games in one go, but I would like to visit a landmark stadium and to sample what the host city has on offer. We're only going to games 2 and 3 today cos they're the best games, but I'd actually prefer to be done by 7 so we can have a full night out too. 

[Dave T]

25 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

I would prefer this than a whole weekend. I don't really want to watch more than a couple of games in one go, but I would like to visit a landmark stadium and to sample what the host city has on offer. We're only going to games 2 and 3 today cos they're the best games, but I'd actually prefer to be done by 7 so we can have a full night out too. 

Didn't games used to kick off a bit earlier or am I misremembering? 

[Odsal Outlaw]

17 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Didn't games used to kick off a bit earlier or am I misremembering? 

I think you’re right for day 2 at least. I thought it used to be a 12 noon start on day 2

[Dave T]

32 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

I think you’re right for day 2 at least. I thought it used to be a 12 noon start on day 2

I may be thinking of when we sometimes had 4 matches too. I've watched the last match outside in the pub a few times

[sam4731]

I think Magic as a concept is just so tired now but if we are going to persist with it, the only sensible place to hold it is London. RL gets its biggest crowds in London (CC Final and England internationals) and as I've said on here before if you put cheap day out in front of a Londoner, they lap it up. Throw in sport and a full day of drinking and they're practically foaming at the mouth. Emirates is a 15 minute tube from Central London with Spurs and the London Stadium also being options.

There's no point in hosting it in the north. If we want existing fans to attend RL matches, just don't bother with Magic at all because I can tell you who isn't interested in a MW in Leeds. Anyone that isn't already interested in RL.

[Toby Chopra]

15 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I may be thinking of when we sometimes had 4 matches too. I've watched the last match outside in the pub a few times

I think that's it. As long as I've been going there's been a Saturday night match.

Which on one level is fair enough - it's a rugby league event first and foremost.

But also, there's a reason very few sports have regular Saturday night matches, including ours. 

And if we were going to go to, say, Dublin I'd definitely want the Saturday night in town. But if that meant missing the biggest game, then you'd think twice.

Not an easy balance to find, which is why I'd lean towards more, shorter events.

(I like Odsal's 'Magic Series' name, that could work, if it was a common experience at each location!)

[HawkMan]

18 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

 I've said on here before if you put cheap day out in front of a Londoner, they lap it up. Throw in sport and a full day of drinking and they're practically foaming at the mouth. 

 

As a Londoner I find that frankly insulting. We Londoners are very loyal to our sports, mainly football, and we support culturally diverse activities including sports we don't usually watch. But we don't go to any old rubbish just to get p****d and it's cheap. 

Put MW on in London,  probably during the football season,  involving teams Londoners don't care about, but offer cheap tickets and booze and they'll turn up in droves. What an arrogant pile of ######.

Edited August 17 by HawkMan

[sam4731]

15 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

As a Londoner I find that frankly insulting. We Londoners are very loyal to our sports, mainly football, and we support culturally diverse activities including sports we don't usually watch. But we don't go to any old rubbish just to get p****d and it's cheap. 

Put MW on in London,  probably during the football season,  involving teams Londoners don't care about, but offer cheap tickets and booze and they'll turn up in droves. What an arrogant pile of ######.

I am also a Londoner having lived in London for the first 18 years of my life, I can attest to the fact that me along with many of my peers enjoyed a cheap day out where we could get it.

[HawkMan]

2 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I am also a Londoner having lived in London for the first 18 years of my life, I can attest to the fact that me along with many of my peers enjoyed a cheap day out where we could get it.

Speak for yourself and your mates, but not Londoners as a whole. I'm in my 60s and have always lived in London and MW will not attract any more than Newcastle or anywhere else because of cheap booze. To repeat ,it's an insult. What d'you expect?

" come on lads we're off to Magic Weekend Rugby League "

"But we were going to Arsenal".

" Well, I was off to Charlton, but it's cheap booze, don't worry about following the rugby we'll be unconscious after an  hour anyway."

 

[sam4731]

1 minute ago, HawkMan said:

Speak for yourself and your mates, but not Londoners as a whole. I'm in my 60s and have always lived in London and MW will not attract any more than Newcastle or anywhere else because of cheap booze. To repeat ,it's an insult. What d'you expect?

" come on lads we're off to Magic Weekend Rugby League "

"But we were going to Arsenal".

" Well, I was off to Charlton, but it's cheap booze, don't worry about following the rugby we'll be unconscious after an  hour anyway."

 

Whoa, who said anything about cheap booze? Also I'm not advocating having it during the football season. Obviously people aren't going to pick it over their football team. But if it fills a sporting gap, people are more likely to notice it.

[17 stone giant]

I don't have any great desire to attend a Magic Weekend. One reason is that it's just normal Super League fixtures, so there's nothing special about it for me. I'm happy to watch bits on TV, but I wouldn't consider travelling anywhere for it.

That's in contrast to the Grand Final, Challenge Cup Final or a high profile England international, which I definitely would (and have) travel a few hours to. I'd also be more likely to go if it was a Challenge Cup round, although even then I don't have any desire to watch several matches in a day.

Even when the football World Cup has three matches a day, I can't remember ever closely watching all three (as opposed to just having it on in the background). And that's on TV, let alone having to sit in a stadium for that amount of time.

Normally with the cricket Hundred I will go early enough to watch maybe half or a third of the women's match, but cricket is different because you can walk around inside the stadium (and still be outside in the sun for large parts of that).

None of the above means that I don't think Magic is worthwhile. If people like it and want to attend, it's worth doing. It's just not something that particularly interests me in its current form.

[Yorky]

3 hours ago, shrewsbury roughyed said:

I fully understand what you're saying. I've been to Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle a number of times, full weekend each time, missing Oldham games. To Newcastle is a long round trip from the Midlands and I know of others who travel further. I just don't feel that excited by this one. I don't have Sky . Press RL coverage is minimal. This one just seems to have passed me by. I think you're right re the new fans; Magic Weekend was always meant to attract new people, but I've seen little evidence of it in terms of publicity. I'm not a whinger - I really hope it succeeds and it's a mystery to me how League isn't better loved by the general public. For the media this weekend barley seems to be happening. what the answer is I don't know. Show half the matches on terrestrial tv perhaps.

Regarding the lack of press, I think the return of the Premier league season will unfortunately starve almost all coverage of other sports this weekend- so that definitely won't help

[Yorky]

For all the negativity around it, I'm actually really looking forward to this weekend. I'll be watching on sky, beers are chilled and think their are some brilliant even match ups,especially today's games.

I wouldn't say my preference is it to be held at Elland Road but I hope its a success and those that attend have a great event. If the attendance is better than expected it could be a good atmosphere in the ground

[Dunbar]

1 hour ago, HawkMan said:

Speak for yourself and your mates, but not Londoners as a whole. I'm in my 60s and have always lived in London and MW will not attract any more than Newcastle or anywhere else because of cheap booze. To repeat ,it's an insult. What d'you expect?

" come on lads we're off to Magic Weekend Rugby League "

"But we were going to Arsenal".

" Well, I was off to Charlton, but it's cheap booze, don't worry about following the rugby we'll be unconscious after an  hour anyway."

 

A bunch of people I work with in London went to the Hundred cricket the other day.

They are not cricket fans.

And the booze was part of their decision to go (probably the key part).

[gingerjon]

14 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

A bunch of people I work with in London went to the Hundred cricket the other day.

They are not cricket fans.

And the booze was part of their decision to go (probably the key part).

Hospitality or general admission?

[Dunbar]

8 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Hospitality or general admission?

Don't know.  I just heard them talking about it.

[N2022]

2 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

I don't have any great desire to attend a Magic Weekend. One reason is that it's just normal Super League fixtures, so there's nothing special about it for me. I'm happy to watch bits on TV, but I wouldn't consider travelling anywhere for it.

That's in contrast to the Grand Final, Challenge Cup Final or a high profile England international, which I definitely would (and have) travel a few hours to. I'd also be more likely to go if it was a Challenge Cup round, although even then I don't have any desire to watch several matches in a day.

Even when the football World Cup has three matches a day, I can't remember ever closely watching all three (as opposed to just having it on in the background). And that's on TV, let alone having to sit in a stadium for that amount of time.

Normally with the cricket Hundred I will go early enough to watch maybe half or a third of the women's match, but cricket is different because you can walk around inside the stadium (and still be outside in the sun for large parts of that).

None of the above means that I don't think Magic is worthwhile. If people like it and want to attend, it's worth doing. It's just not something that particularly interests me in its current form.

A Challenge Cup round as Magic Weekend. Has 17SG just hit two birds with one stone? Genius.

[ATLANTISMAN]

3 hours ago, HawkMan said:

Speak for yourself and your mates, but not Londoners as a whole. I'm in my 60s and have always lived in London and MW will not attract any more than Newcastle or anywhere else because of cheap booze. To repeat ,it's an insult. What d'you expect?

" come on lads we're off to Magic Weekend Rugby League "

"But we were going to Arsenal".

" Well, I was off to Charlton, but it's cheap booze, don't worry about following the rugby we'll be unconscious after an  hour anyway."

 

Millwall is better and for real value try Beckenham Town admission programme pint and home made burger 15 squid:)