Huddersfield Giants granted approval for temporary ground usage

Super League side Huddersfield Giants have been handed a boost in their plans to build a new stadium with a temporary location approved.

The Giants have started plans to leave their current home of the John Smith’s Stadium with owner and chairman Ken Davy admitting that the stadium is simply too big for the club in its current guise.

Huddersfield have been averaging well under 5,000 fans at home in 2025 despite the Giants playing in a ground with a capacity of 24,500.

Speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League in 2024, Davy admitted that the ground “has always been too big for the Giants” as he outlined the plan for Huddersfield to build a “new purpose-built stadium”.

Whilst plans to find a viable site for that continue in the background, Huddersfield need somewhere to play in the meantime and that’s seen them strike a deal with Halifax over the use of The Shay.

Huddersfield Giants granted permission to play at The Shay in 2026

Davy identified The Shay as a possible venue and proceedings have been going on in the background with the most notable being in March when the club’s purchase of the ground was approved.

Conditions were set with the major one being that the stadium can only be used for sport, so as to prevent any possible land grab, but there has now been a further positive update for the Giants.

The Shay is currently owned by Calderdale Council and both Halifax Panthers and Halifax Town football club share usage with the football club now providing an update.

Taking to X, they posted: “Following discussions with the EFL and the National League, it is agreed that Halifax Panthers and Huddersfield Giants can play fixtures at the Shay Stadium, along with FC Halifax Town from the 2025-2026 season.”

It means that we will see Luke Robinson’s side at a new venue in 2026 with The Shay set to host a Super League game for the first time since 2011. It has played host to 86 games in the competition, the majority of which saw Halifax play there but Huddersfield have played there three times there.

Following discussions with the EFL and the National League, it is agreed that Halifax Panthers and Huddersfield Giants can play fixtures at the Shay Stadium, along with FC Halifax Town from the 2025-2026 season.

Following today’s game at Wealdstone, we’ll now play Oldham…

— FC Halifax Town (@FCHTOnline) May 5, 2025