HAVING the right facility from which to play your rugby league fixtures is not only important on the field, but off it, it can be a major revenue driver.
For League One side Midlands Hurricanes, that is set to become a reality in 2024 with the club set to move into the main venue at the Alexander Stadium after a year in the warm-up arena.
Midlands chief executive Greg Wood has spoken about how this move is crucial to bring in new players as well as new fans to help the club move forward.
“One year was always the agreement with the council. We have had chats with those guys and we are looking to put it down on paper soon – though we would have hoped it would have been done already, but Birmingham Council have had their own issues,” Wood told League Express.
“So it has stalled a little bit, but we have had it confirmed verbally that we will play games in the main stadium next year.
“It’s a massive boost on and off the field, but from a playing perspective it is huge. For players to play at an arena like that every week, well there won’t be many better around let alone in League One.
“I think it will be a major boost for players too because it is attractive. When you are trying to recruit players and bring them in, you can tell them that they will be playing in the Commonwealth Games Stadium every home game, it is attractive. People will turn around and say ‘yeah, I’ll have a bit of that’. From a playing perspective it is great.
“But, equally commercially it adds attraction. People who are not rugby people in Birmingham can come, look at the stadium and watch the sporting event. Getting the people involved is key.
“Everyone who I have got to come to games this year – whether that’s in corporate or with free tickets – everyone has gone away and said “I’ve never watched rugby league before but that was so good to watch” and they have come back.”
Wood also revealed that the Hurricanes have been in talks with universities in the area to bring in students to games.
“Being in the main stadium gives us the platform to get lots of people in. We are already in talks with the universities in the Midlands such as Loughborough about getting busloads of students in to do a student takeover.
“If we can get 500 or 600 students in, swigging a few pints back and watching some rugby league, it will boast for a good atmosphere.”
It certainly is exciting times to be a Midlands fan!
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