Following the success of the inaugural Summer Bash at Blackpool, the popular seaside resort will once again host a round of Kingstone Press Championship fixtures and the iPro Sport Cup final. Summer Bash 2016 will take place over the weekend of Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th at Bloomfield Road, home of Blackpool FC.
Over 15,000 fans flocked to Blackpool in May for the first ever Summer Bash to watch two days of spectacular Kingstone Press Championship action and an enthralling iPro Sport Cup final, which will this year feature a clash between the top two Championship teams of 2015, Bradford Bulls and Leigh Centurions.
The iPro Sport Cup final will again kick off proceedings on Saturday followed by two ambitious Championship clubs, Sheffield Eagles and London Broncos, going head-to-head. The Cumbrian derby between Workington Town and Whitehaven is always a feisty affair and the day’s action will be rounded off by a clash between this year’s top two regular season Championship clubs, Bradford Bulls and Leigh Centurions.
The 2016 Summer Bash will once again be extensively covered on Sky Sports and Sunday will see three derby clashes including a match between newly promoted Oldham and Swinton Lions. Championship coach of the year Richard Marshall will pit his Halifax side against Kingstone Press Championship Shield winners Featherstone Rovers in the final fixture of the weekend.
RFL Chief Executive Nigel Wood said: “Summer Bash 2015 was an event that the whole sport should feel proud of, it was a fantastic weekend showcasing the Kingstone Press Championship and League 1.
“Once again Rugby League showed that it is not afraid to innovate. The fans who turned out in their thousands to create a carnival atmosphere, both inside and outside the stadium, really embraced the new concept and helped make the event a great success.
“Everyone knows what a fun place Blackpool is and to bring a festival of Rugby League to the town over the Bank Holiday weekend was perfect. We hope to build on the success of last year’s event and make it even better in 2016.”
The 2016 fixtures are as follows:
Saturday 28th May
iPro League 1 Cup Final 12:00
Sheffield Eagles v London Broncos 14:30
Workington Town v Whitehaven 16:45
Bradford Bulls v Leigh Centurions 19:00
Sunday 29th May
Dewsbury Rams v Batley Bulldogs 12:45
Oldham v Swinton Lions 15:00
Halifax v Featherstone Rovers 17:15
