It has been a mainstay of the Super League calendar for nearly 20 years and been such a success that Australia’s NRL decided to take the idea and run with it. But nothing – particularly in professional sport – lasts for ever, and this weekend will tell us a lot about whether rugby league’s Magic Weekend is reaching the end of its lifespan.
The whole concept of all 12 teams playing in the same venue on the same weekend is built around taking Super League out on the road somewhere new. Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh have all been particularly good hosts down the years, with St James’ Park now adopted as the spiritual home of Magic by many supporters of the game.
