Millennium Magic is a concept by the Rugby Football League (RFL) to take an entire round of Super League matches to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The first Millennium Magic round was played on the weekend of May 5th, 2007. Although the aggregate attendance was less than that of a regular Super League round, the event was hailed as a resounding success, although the reason for it remains vague. [1]
Contents |
Concept
Initial Concept
Rumours of the Millennium Magic round first appeared in the Yorkshire Post in early July 2006. The report revealed the proposal to shorten Super League XII to 27 rounds and take one of those rounds to Wales.[2] Initial reaction from fans was positive, and the Welsh tourist board were thought to be keen for the plan to go ahead after the success of the Challenge Cup finals that were held at the Millennium Stadium between 2003 and 2005.
Confirmation and Reasoning
The first Millennium Magic round was confirmed in September 2006 for the weekend of May 5th-May 6th 2007. [3]Richard Lewis, chairman of the RFL, cited both expansion and monetary reasons for the move to Wales, but the plan also allowed the Super League to be reduced by one round (critics had stated that the players were put under too much strain over the season). After the success of the first Millennium Magic in 2007, reports suggest that it will become an annual fixture in the Super League calender, especially considering that a second event has now been confirmes as taking play on the weekend of the 3rd to the 4th of May 2008.
2007
Logistics
Three Super League XII fixtures took place on Saturday May 5th, 2007 and a further three on Sunday May 6th, 2007. The games played were, where possible, 'local derby' matches in an attempt to maximise interest in the event. The teams will face their Millennium Magic derby opponents four times during the Super League XII season. Celtic Crusaders opened the weekend against Oldham Roughyeds in a National League 2 game on the Friday night (4th May) at Brewery Field, Bridgend. This match officially celebrated 100 years of club rugby league in Wales as Oldham were the first ever opponents to Merthyr Tydfil in the first professional game in Wales on September 7th 1907. In an eventful match, Oldham came back from 26-6 down to win 34-26 in front of 3,441 fans, a record attendance for a National League 2 match. It was also the first National League 2 game shown live on British television, covered by Sky Sports.
Fixtures
| Team | Score | Team | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Crowd | |||||||
 Catalans Dragons |
28-32 |  Harlequins RL |
5 May 2007 15:00 GMT | 32,384 | ||||
 Hull FC |
10-14 |  Hull KR |
5 May 2007 17:00 GMT | 32,384 | ||||
 St Helens |
34-18 |  Wigan Warriors |
5 May 2007 19:00 GMT | 32,384 | ||||
 Huddersfield Giants |
36-12 |  Wakefield Trinity Wildcats |
6 May 2007 14:00 GMT | 26,447 | ||||
 Salford City Reds |
18-50 |  Warrington Wolves |
6 May 2007 16:00 GMT | 26,447 | ||||
 Bradford Bulls |
38-42 |  Leeds Rhinos |
6 May 2007 18:00 GMT | 26,447 | ||||
2008
Fixtures
| Team | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Catalans Dragons |
vs. | Harlequins RL |
| Hull FC |
vs. | Hull KR |
| St Helens |
vs. | Wigan Warriors |
 Castleford Tigers |
vs. | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats |
| Huddersfield Giants |
vs. | Warrington Wolves |
| Bradford Bulls |
vs | Leeds Rhinos |
