2017 Summer Bash breaks crowd record
Picture by Chris Mangnall/SWpix.com - 27/05/2017 - Rugby League - Kingstone Press Championship - Summer Bash - London Broncos v Featherstone Rovers - Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, England Crowd Kingstone Press
A record crowd of 16,444 attended this year’s Summer Bash across the two days at Bloomfield Road in Blackpool.
For the third year running, a new record was set, this year helped no doubt by the thrilling match-up between well-supported clubs Hull KR and Bradford on Saturday night.
Indeed Saturday was a sell out – across the three stands that were open to fans – of more than 11,500.
They saw Barrow pick up the League 1 Cup trophy before wins for Rochdale over Oldham, London against Featherstone and a dramatic one-point win for Hull KR over Bradford.
The Sunday games, which were watched by less than 5,000 people, saw Sheffield beat Swinton, Toulouse see off Halifax and Dewsbury round-off the weekend with a one-point victory over Batley.
RFL chairman, Brian Barwick, said: “The Kingstone Press Championship and League 1 has once again shown how exciting it is with each game providing superb entertainment for those in the stadium and back at home watching live on Sky Sports.
“Summer Bash is still a relatively new event in the Rugby League calendar, but to see everyone work so hard over three years and grow ticket sales to a record-breaking 16,444 in 2017 is fantastic.
“Like the Dacia Magic Weekend, it is a superb illustration of our sport coming together and delivering top-class action in an environment where fans from opposing teams freely engage with one another. It’s something we should all be very proud of.
“Congratulations to Barrow Raiders who lifted the League 1 Cup. After facing Leeds Rhinos and making a trip to Toronto in previous weeks, Barrow came up against a committed North Wales Crusaders side and had to dig deep to get their hands on the trophy.
“This past week has been overshadowed by the atrocity in Manchester. A minute’s silence was impeccably observed at the start of each day to remember those that lost their lives and friends and families coming to terms with the tragedy.
“We would like to thank the fans, players, clubs, commercial partners, broadcasters and staff who have come together during a tough time to produce a memorable and safe event for all.”