It was confirmed yesterday that Magic Weekend would be leaving Newcastle and instead heading to Leeds for 2024, something that’s caused controversy among fans and now has left Newcastle Council ‘disappointed’.
Magic was certainly the right way to brand the two-day event because on so many occasions it has delivered, particularly since the move to St James Park where the annual pilgrimage for Super League fans has been held annually since 2015 (barring one year in Liverpool and a cancelled year).
The event even saw an upturn in fans attending in 2023 with 63,269 attending across the two days, the highest figure since 2018, however the decision has been made by the RFL to make the switch to Elland Road in Leeds instead.
Elland Road of course does have an affinity with rugby league having held multiple international games and perhaps it’s smaller capacity may mean a more full and atmospheric event, but it’s still been a controversial decision.
The reason to leave Newcastle was a calendar restructure with Magic now taking place in August, as opposed to May, and therefore during the football season with Newcastle seemingly not keen to accommodate the event.
Now members of Newcastle’s City Council have reacted to the loss of the event, explaining how disappointing it is.
Councillor Alex Hay said: “Naturally we are disappointed Magic Weekend won’t be returning to Newcastle next year.
“We have taken great pride in hosting the rugby league event in our city for the past three years. It has consistently provided a memorable weekend for both supporters and our residents.
“I am sure rugby league fans will have a great time at Elland Road. We have a fantastic relationship with the Super League and remain confident our city will host the event again in the future.”
Despite the optimism that the city may host the event again soon, some have expressed concerned that the event may not return at all. Fans took to X, formerly Twitter to react, as such.
In response to the official announcement, one fan posted: “Tragic not Magic. RIP Magic Weekend.”
Rhodri Jones, Managing Director of RL Commercial had explained at the time of the announcement: “Magic Weekend is going to have a different feel in 2024, as a result of the return to a date later in the summer to move away from the Betfred Challenge Cup Final in June, and the non-availability of St James’ Park which has proved such a popular venue for the last three years.
“We are delighted to have agreed a deal with Leeds United FC to stage Magic Weekend at Elland Road, one of the biggest and best stadia in the north of England – and with a rich Rugby League history, having staged numerous big matches from the 1982 Challenge Cup Final replay to the World Cup semi final between Australia and New Zealand last year.
“The fixtures formula we have used for Magic since 2019, which involves seeding teams into three groups of four based on their 2023 performance, has produced an intriguing line-up of matches, and with all clubs offering special pricing for Magic as part of their season tickets package, we would encourage fans to move quickly when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.”
