Champions Wigan to open 2014 season against Huddersfield
Super League champions Wigan will kick-off the 2014 season with a stand-alone game against minor premiers Huddersfield.
The Warriors, who are also the Challenge Cup holders, will welcome the Giants to the DW Stadium on Friday February 7, the week before the season starts in full.
Round 1 of the 2014 Super League season takes place over the weekend of February 13-16 and begins with a mouth-watering clash between Warrington Wolves and St Helens in front of the Sky Sports cameras at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The second televised match of the opening round sees Hull FC host Catalan Dragons at the KC Stadium on Friday February 14 before four matches are played on the Sunday: Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers, Hull KR v Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils v Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Widnes Vikings v London Broncos.
The Warrington-Saints derby is the first game of 2014 to be televised live on Thursday nights in 2014 following the successful trial last season, when the new time slot drew strong TV audiences with no detrimental impact on attendances.
The televised matches have been determined for the first 14 rounds of Super League 2014 with 22 of the 26 Thursday night games already selected: these are shared evenly across the competition with no club having more than two Thursday home fixtures.
Magic Weekend 2014 will again take place at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, where seven Round 13 fixtures will be played on Saturday May 17 and Sunday May 18. Full details of the Magic Weekend matches will be announced next month.
Other highlights of next year include the first repeat of the 2013 Super League Grand Final in Round 6, when Warrington will be looking to avenge their defeat by champions Wigan.
The 2014 play-offs get underway over the weekend of September 18-21 and climax with the title deciding Grand Final at the Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday October 11 (6.00pm).
The 2014 Tetley’s Challenge Cup final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 23.
The Kingstone Press Championships clubs will enter the Challenge Cup at the third round stage on the weekend of March 15-16 with the Super League clubs joining the fray over the weekend of April 5-6.
Key dates for 2014:
Super League Round 1 – weekend of February 13-16
World Club Challenge – Wigan Warriors v Sydney Roosters tba
Magic Weekend – weekend of May 17-18.
Super League Play-offs start – weekend of September 18-21
2014 Super League Grand Final – Saturday October 11.
Tetley’s Challenge Cup
Round 4 – weekend of April 6
Round 5 – Weekend of April 27
Quarter-finals – Weekend of June 8
Semi-finals – Weekend of August 10
Final – Saturday August 23
All fixtures will be added to the respective club sections of the website within the next 24 hours.