Magic Weekend moved to Manchester

Correspondent

 

Manchester’s Etihad Stadium will host the 2012 Magic Weekend.

The annual Magic Weekend began in 2007 when all 12 team played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The event spent an additional year there before it was moved to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in 2009 and 2010.

The weekend was staged as the opener to the Super League season earlier this year, but will now take place at the home of Manchester City Football Club.

The stadium has hosted many sporting events, including the 2002 Commonwealth Games, for which the stadium was originally built for.

Rugby League was first played at the stadium in 2004, when Great Britain hosted their opening match of the Tri Nations series. The home side lost 12-8 with Brian Carney and Martin Gleeson posting tries for the home side.

A date for next season’s Magic Weekend has yet to be announced, although the 2012 Super League fixtures will be announced this Friday.