Championship Magic Weekend?

Would this be viable?

Being involved at a ‘Championship’ club, Rochdale Hornets, I know first hand how difficult it is to compete financially with some of the teams at the top end of the divisions that have substantially more fans than we do. These clubs are able to recruit players based upon their salary expectations, and with reasonably good ‘gates’ for teams outside of Super League, good look to them.

If you look a little lower down the divisions however, you will regularly see teams struggling to hit the 500 mark in terms of paying spectators, although when some of these teams face off against each other, the quality of rugby on show is excellent.

There are some very good players that are playing in the Championship divisions nowadays, and arguably more than a handful that could play at Super League level if given the chance. There are also some very exciting youngsters that have come through Super League Academy systems, that may have not matured enough by the time they reach 20/21, and who have to drop down a division in order to try and return back to Super League.

Championship has alot going for it, and although the crowds at times can be frustratingly sparse, I strongly believe that there is a great game outside of Super League. I don’t however think that certain ‘parties’ value it at all, and hence we struggle to gain attractive sponsorship.

Sure, we have the Northern Rail, who sponsor the NR Cup, but to be honest, and without meaning to offend, it isn’t the most glamorous of competitions or sponsors, not enough to get the fans excited anyway.

Where are the dancing girls and the pre match fireworks? Where are the Championship ‘end of season reviews’ on Sky Sports?, or the Championship front page headlines in the weekly Rugby League press?

Our Championship even struggles to get an accurate and updated division on a weekly basis on teletext!

Who is actually controlling the game in the lower divisions? As I’ve said, there is plenty, that the likes of Featherstone, Halifax, Leigh, Hunslet, Oldham, Rochdale and Swinton to name a few, can offer this game in the UK, but it doesn’t seem like we are moving in the right direction as an organisation. In fact, I struggle to see us moving in any direction at all and if fact feel like the divsions have stagnated on the whole.

Where are the innovative ideas from Red Hall? The voices speaking out in favour of the division outside of Super League?

In Super League, we are now accustomed to the Magic Weekend in which each team in showcased on the National stage (or in this years case…..Manchester), and although previous years haven’t been supported as well as the RFL accounts department may like, the concept of having every top level team playing in one location is incredibly exciting. Its probably true to say that we still haven’t ‘hit the nail on the head’ with this project, but at least the concept shows some innovative thinking.

Is it going to be the jobs of the CEO’s and Head Coaches of the Championship sides to get their heads together and organise a similar event, which will boost the profile of the Championship divisions. Is there a marketing budget available to put innovative ideas in motion?

My idea would be to recreate a Magic Weekend for the Championship teams. Hold it at Anfield for example and give free tickets away to every person living in the city! Get the RFL merchandising department to produce as much ‘Magic Memorabilia’ as possible and give it to each club to sell in and around the stadium. Pay back the costs of production to the RFL and give the profits made by each club, to the club!

This way, the clubs aren’t out of pocket for the ‘gate’ receipts that they would have taken if they had played at home.

As for a sponsor, what about actually asking Liverpool Football Club to sponsor the weekend? You could incorporate the Team Badge on every item of memorabilia and through the sponsorship, they could sell their own match day tickets at a reduced rate to earn their on money back.

Think about it, LFC sponsors the weekend event to the tune of £150000. Shared between each of the 20 ish clubs, giving each club £7500. I know us at Rochdale Hornets would be delighted to play at Anfield, receive £7500, and also make a profit for some sales of shirts, pencils, flags…..whatever. I’m sure Liverpool FC wouldn’t have to scrimp and scrpae to find £150000….they pay some of their players not far off that amount for a weeks ‘work’!

All it takes is a little thought, and I’m sure that I am wide of the mark with some suggestions, but at least they are suggestions. If we are waiting for suggestions from ‘elsewhere’, we’ll be waiting a long time, as the focus is purely and simply on Super League, rightly or wrongly depending on your stance or more importantly your team affiliation.

So could ‘Championship Magic’ work?

I think it has to!