Magic Round (NRL)

The National Rugby League's Magic Round is a weekend where all fixtures are played at one venue. The concept is derived from Super League's Magic Weekend.[1] The first Magic Round, in 2019, was held at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, in the ninth round of the season, from 9 to 12 May. The Government of Queensland paid approximately $2.1 million per year for the event to be held in the city in 2019 and 2020.[2]

History

England's Super League first held its Magic Weekend in Cardiff, Wales, in 2007, in part as a bid to promote rugby league there.[3] The event has been repeated on an annual basis, staged also in Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Liverpool. The second-tier Championship followed in 2015 with the Summer Bash, a full round of fixtures that in that year and each subsequent year have been played in Blackpool.

The NRL first announced a Magic Round in 2018, for the 2019 season. It selected Brisbane as the host for 2019 and 2021, with the NRL having the option to continue to hold the event there in 2022 and 2023. The hosting arrangements included an investment from the Government of Queensland.[4] The NRL declared the 2019 event, held from 9 to 12 May, to be a success; the total attendance for the weekend was 134,677.[5]

The second Magic Round was scheduled to be held in May 2020, but was cancelled due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which affected the 2020 NRL season.[6]

2019: Brisbane
Team Score Team Date and Time Attendance Broadcaster
Gold Coast Titans 18–26 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Thursday 9 May
19:50		 17,113 Nine Network
Fox League
Wests Tigers 30–4 Penrith Panthers Friday 10 May
18:00		 41,388 Fox League
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 10–26 Brisbane Broncos Friday 10 May
20:05		 Nine Network
Fox League
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10–22 Newcastle Knights Saturday 11 May
15:00		 41,612 Fox League
New Zealand Warriors 26–18 St. George Illawarra Dragons Saturday 11 May
17:30		 Fox League
Melbourne Storm 64–10 Parramatta Eels Saturday 11 May
19:35		 Fox League
Sydney Roosters 30–24 Canberra Raiders Sunday 12 May
14:00		 34,564 Fox League
South Sydney Rabbitohs 32–16 North Queensland Cowboys Sunday 12 May
16:05		 Nine Network
Fox League

2021: Brisbane
Team Score Team Date and Time Attendance Broadcaster
Wests Tigers – Newcastle Knights Friday 14 May
18:00		 Fox League
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles – Brisbane Broncos Friday 14 May
20:05		 Nine Network
Fox League
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – Canberra Raiders Saturday 15 May
15:00		 Nine Network
Fox League
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks – South Sydney Rabbitohs Saturday 15 May
17:30		 Fox League
Sydney Roosters – North Queensland Cowboys Saturday 15 May
19:45		 Nine Network
Fox League
New Zealand Warriors – Parramatta Eels Sunday 16 May
13:50		 Fox League
Melbourne Storm – St. George Illawarra Dragons Sunday 16 May
16:05		 Nine Network
Fox League
Gold Coast Titans – Penrith Panthers Sunday 16 May
18:25		 Fox League

See also

References
  1. Proszenko, Adrian (9 May 2019). "NSW keen to poach Magic Round from Queensland". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  2. Polkinghorne, David (10 May 2019). "New Civic Stadium would enhance Canberra's Magic Round chances". Canberra Times. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  3. Shea, Julian (1 May 2007). "Rugby league looks to new horizon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  4. Webster, Andrew (8 May 2019). "From Bris Vegas to Las Vegas: the NRL's bold ambitions for Magic Round". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  5. Lutton, Phil (12 May 2019). "Magic Round tricks every box as crowds respond to Brisbane event". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. "NRL cancels Magic Round Brisbane 2020". NRL.com. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
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