Castleford Tigers chief executive Steve Gill has confirmed the club will take part in the 2018 World Club Series after securing their place by winning the League Leaders’s Shield.
When the Tigers were on the verge of the same feat in 2014, they made it clear they didn’t have the financial power to cover the costs of hosting the event.
However, three years on and despite the bond required to act as hosts rising to almost £200,000, Castleford’s remarkable rise on the field has allowed them to accept the invitation this time around.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Gill said: “We want it down here at the Jungle in front of our fans. If we can sell it out, we’ll make a profit. We’ve got plenty of time to do that. I would imagine everybody would want to be part of that.
“It’s something that I could not allow not to happen to this club. We weren’t financially able to do it three years ago. Our groundswell of support isn’t as good as it is now.
“Our players want to be in it and our fans want to be part of it. It will be a great night.”
It has been an incredible season for Cas who secured top spot for the first time in their 91-year history with a 45-20 victory over Wakefield last night.
Their incredible turnaround over the last few years has been spearheaded by head coach Daryl Powell who can’t wait to take on the best the NRL has to offer.
“I think for us to get an Australian team here, on our own patch, and show them what we’ve got and really challenge ourselves would be an outstanding experience for all of us,” he said.
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