RFL chief praises Hull derby
On the day that tickets go on general sale to supporters for the next eagerly anticipated Hull derby between Hull FC and Hull KR, RFL Chief Executive, Nigel Wood has spoken of his passion for the fixture.
The City of Hull will be divided once again come Friday 16th July as East meets West at the KC Stadium, in front of what will undoubtedly become the largest Super League crowd of 2010.
There are many great rivalries within Rugby League, but this is the only game where two great clubs from the same city clash head on.
“Rugby league in the City of Hull is so passionately supported and deeply engrained within society, whether that is within families, at work or within the community game,” he said.
“To have two teams from one city, who are both followed with such vigour and unwavering commitment, it helps set the stage for another classic encounter.”
It will be the third time that Hull FC and Hull KR have met this season, following the first Super League derby of 2010 at Craven Park and the Testimonial fixture between both sides to celebrate 10 years at Hull FC for stand-off Richard Horne.
That friendly back in January still managed to attract a mammoth crowd of over 17,000 people to the KC Stadium and Wood knows it will be exactly the same this time around.
Wood said, “We saw with Richard Horne’s Testimonial at the start of the season how huge this fixture is and for any pre-season friendly to attract a crowd that size is, quite simply, staggering.
“We all expect there to be a full house at the KC Stadium in July, it is a superb venue for Rugby League and with a great battle in store between two of the games bitterest rivals it promises to be a spectacular showpiece for the sport.”
Wood added, “I would encourage all supporters to get their hands on tickets for the game, whether they are hardened FC or KR supporters or even just interested supporters of Rugby League.
“This is a great game for the neutral to enjoy if you wanted an example of what Rugby League is all about and what it really means to people.”