"Gate" at Edinburgh

[wildej]

While the media and the RFL are claiming that the "Magic Weekend" wax a great success because 5000 tickets were sold in Scotland does anybody believe that 60k spectators for SEVEN games can be claimed as a success.   It must be a lot less than the gates that would have been achieved had the games been played in the normal way, of course it would all depend on which team was the home team.   

[King Viking]

I'm sceptical about this too. How many of the 60k would have been counted twice? I'd predict there were a fair few people who went for both days.

[Huggybear]

The challenge cup is the proper RL event of the year. This is a "Super League" exclusive tournament - a league which made their own decision to split from the rest - the event itself can't claim to represent the whole game of Rugby League in the same way the Challenge Cup does which theoretically any team can play in. It's not as if a non-SL team can aspire to play in "Magic Weekend" the following season or anything whereas they can always dream of the unlikely event of reaching the CC final.

[Peter]

The challenge cup is the proper RL event of the year. This is a "Super League" exclusive tournament - a league which made their own decision to split from the rest - the event itself can't claim to represent the whole game of Rugby League in the same way the Challenge Cup does which theoretically any team can play in. It's not as if a non-SL team can aspire to play in "Magic Weekend" the following season or anything whereas they can always dream of the unlikely event of reaching the CC final.

Absolutely correct. When Super League eventually dies and the "breakaway/elite" clubs return to real world of Rugby League, the "Magic Weekens" and the "Grand Finals" will be forgotten but the Challenge Cup will always be remembered.

[neilw]

While the media and the RFL are claiming that the "Magic Weekend" wax a great success because 5000 tickets were sold in Scotland does anybody believe that 60k spectators for SEVEN games can be claimed as a success.   It must be a lot less than the gates that would have been achieved had the games been played in the normal way, of course it would all depend on which team was the home team.   

Correct it is, games below have already taken place this season all are the same home team excpet the Catalan - Leeds fixture which was at Leeds. I guess crowd maybe a little less if in France but not sure.

Huddersfield v Celtic 10th April 2009 Crowd 6,407
Hull v Castleford 20th March 2009 Crowd 14,028
Catalan v Leeds at Headingley 27th March 2009 Crowd 13,425
Warrington v HKR 22nd March 2009 Crowd 8,457
Salford v Quins 6th March 2009 Crowd 3,367
Wakefield v Bradford 13th April 2009 Crowd 6,516
Wigan V St's 9th April 2009 Crowd 22,332

The total crowd figure for these games is 74,532 so the crowds are better at the respective home venues than at Edinburgh. So not a success in that sense, however these are all extra fixtures so in effect all income is extra. If this weekend was cancelled then the clubs would simply lose their cut of the gates.

Obviously a success for the Edinburgh economy too as the RFL fans that travelled north would not have done so if the event was not on.

So it swings and roundabouts really. 

[manxviking]

I know I'm a heretic, but I'm actually in favour of the magic weekend. Wouldn't mind one for the Championship in say Leicester or Gloucester - RU strongholds. Maybe even Reading - rotten town but home (near enough) to Wadworths Brewery

[RB]

I think we need more big events in Rugby League.
In one season a few years ago we had the Lancashire Cup (Yorkshire Cup) , John Player, Challange Cup, Premiership.
Today the SL Clubs have the Challenge Cup and the SL Grand Final.
We have the NRC Final and the NL1 Grand Final plus the Challange Cup.
The trouble is the same clubs get to the Challange Cup Final and the SL Grand Final every year.

Unless Widnes are in anything in which case that's the best the Challenge Cup Final knocks spots off anything else.

I wouldn't object to a Championship Magic weekend.

[life is peachy]

how good would it be to have a magic championship games at the racecourse in wrexham,show the rfl lot that wales does want rugby league they have just put it in the wrong part!

[Pop Cider]

Would we be having this thread if Widnes were in SL?

Me thinks not.

[LeedsViking]

Would we be having this thread if Widnes were in SL?

Me thinks not.

Noooooooo..... we'd all still be too tizered from a weekend in Bonnie Scotland to post anything even remotely coherent 

[widnes_tiger]

Noooooooo..... we'd all still be too tizered from a weekend in Bonnie Scotland to post anything even remotely coherent 

Why you think i plan on going next year

[LeedsViking]

Why you think i plan on going next year

I do Scotland quite regular with work...  it's nothing new or special to me 

[RB]

Would we be having this thread if Widnes were in SL?

Me thinks not.

Possibly yes.
I would still be in favour of promotion and relegation.

[manxviking]

Possibly yes.
I would still be in favour of promotion and relegation.

Me too

Has anyone done the maths? If 5,000 locals were there it means each club took less than 4,000 spectators with them! How on Earth can that be regarded as a success on the weekend that there were over 42,000 watching Cardiff v Leicester at the Millenium Stadium

I'm in favour of the event, but I'm not convinced the RFL know what they are doing.

[local viking]

Me too

Has anyone done the maths? If 5,000 locals were there it means each club took less than 4,000 spectators with them! How on Earth can that be regarded as a success on the weekend that there were over 42,000 watching Cardiff v Leicester at the Millenium Stadium

I'm in favour of the event, but I'm not convinced the RFL know what they are doing.

I think it's bin proved the rfl only think they know what theyre doing.