COULD the Super League Grand Final be moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2025?
Manchester United’s Old Trafford has held the showpiece event ever since 1998, but with crowd figures waning, there has been talk about potentially moving at the end of the current deal.
Managing Director of Rugby League Commercial, Rhodri Jones, has revealed that, because of their location on the Etihad campus, chats have been held about potential events at Manchester City’s stadium – whether that be the Grand Final, the Magic Weekend or a separate event.
“It is something we are looking at. Our contract (with Old Trafford) runs to the end of 2024,” Jones said on the BBC 5 Live podcast.
“There are clearly ownership changes afoot there and potentially with the stadium development too. The contract at the moment does talk about stadium developments.
“We have a level of comfort that if anything was to happen in the next 18 months that we are safe and covered and can stay there.
“But again, just because we’ve done it for the last 25 years doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for us now.”
Jones believes that the Etihad Stadium’s modernity helps tick the boxes in its favour.
“There is a stadium across the city which you would argue is a bit more modern and a bit more spectator-friendly,” Jones continued.
“The fact that we are based at the Etihad Stadium, we have dialogue with them but it’s not just the Grand Final we talk to them about.
“We talk to them about all sorts of things, including a potential Magic Weekend and a potential new event just to see if there is interest for them to host a rugby league event.
“We will see where we go on the Grand Final.”
