Summer Bash 2019 details confirmed
Toronto will play Toulouse and relegated Widnes face Leigh in two of the stand-out matches in the 2019 Championship Summer Bash, which will remain at Blackpool.
The Championship’s version of the Magic Weekend will feature seven games across two days – Saturday May 18 and Sunday May 19 – at Bloomfield Road, where it has been held every year since its inception in 2015.
The Wolfpack faced Toulouse at St James’ Park as part of the Magic Weekend last season in what was their home fixture – they beat Leigh in a controversial game at the Bash.
It will be Widnes’ first appearance at the Bash, and their first at Blackpool since losing the 2010 Northern Rail Cup final to Batley.
The Bulldogs will face local rivals Dewsbury in the middle game on the Sunday before Leigh take on Widnes, and after Barrow play Sheffield Eagles.
Bradford, who faced Hull KR in a thriller back in 2017, play Halifax in the final game on the Saturday, which kicks off with Rochdale against Swinton, two sides who escaped relegation thanks to the increase of the Championship to 14 teams.
The other game over the weekend sees newly promoted York take on Featherstone – the City Knights have taken part in the Summer Bash before, losing to Keighley in the League One Cup final back in 2016.
Ralph Rimmer, the chief executive of the Rugby Football League, said: “The fixture list for next year’s Summer Bash sums up why we’re so excited about the Betfred Championship in 2019.
“We’ve got the international appeal of Toronto and Toulouse, with more big-name players and coaches than ever.
“Bradford Bulls, Widnes Vikings and the York City Knights are three new clubs to the Championship next year who will add so much. They’re all involved in cracking games against Halifax, Leigh and Featherstone respectively, and I’m confident their supporters will relish this chance to get involved in the Bash, and get behind their team in Blackpool.
“It’s down to the supporters that we are going back to Bloomfield Road for a fifth consecutive year. We had a number of other strong applications to stage the Summer Bash in 2019, showing how the concept has established itself as a real celebration of what the Championship has to offer, on and off the field.
“But all the analysis we did showed that our supporters wanted to go back to Blackpool. Everybody knows the special range of attractions available to fans of all ages which makes it perfect for a Rugby League weekend away.”
The full fixture list for the 2019 Betfred Championship and League One season will be published at 6pm on Sunday.
Betfred Championship Summer Bash, 2019 – fixtures (kick-off times TBC)
Saturday May 18
Rochdale Hornets v Swinton Lions
Toronto Wolfpack v Toulouse Olympique
York City Knights v Featherstone Rovers
Halifax v Bradford Bulls
Sunday May 19
Barrow v Sheffield Eagles
Batley Bulldogs v Dewsbury Rams
Leigh Centurions v Widnes Vikings