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Why rugby league needs pilgrimages like the NRL's Magic Round | Matt Cleary


For the television viewer the NRL’s Magic Round – in which all eight games of rugby league are played at one venue – is like watching eight games of rugby league played at one venue. It’s the same as any other NRL round, it’s just that the seats and surrounds and grass all look the same, and the talking heads keep mentioning that it’s a thing.

Yet Magic Round is not designed for TV, per se, anyway. It’s more about a coming together of rugby league people. It’s the game trying to tap into the Hong Kong Sevens “festival” or “party” atmosphere. The Auckland Nines once had a bit of it. And rugby league needs more of it. Head office should be commended for having a crack – even if it is copying something Super League’s been doing profitably since 2007.

And thus all 16 NRL clubs, their fans, front office, media, the whole greater caravan of colour has converged on Brisbane for a long weekend of consumption, carousing and rugby league. They’ve brought the game to the heartland and the heartland has owned it.

Big League magazine – the NRL’s program and fanzine, published by News Corp – promoted the round with a letter from the Minister for Tourism Industry Development, Kate Jones, who wrote that the state’s “Major Events program and It’s Live! In Queensland calendar” (whatever that is) would ultimately generate more than $800m in economic benefit.

Brisbane Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, chipped in to say that “The NRL Magic Round Brisbane is exclusive to our city”, in case readers wondered if an event of that name was being held in Mullumbimby, say.

And everyone has bought in. Eight clubs gave up home games – and the subsequent income of gates and such – because each club was paid over a quarter million dollars to come to Brisbane. So valuable is it that Manly gave up a home game at Brookvale to play Brisbane in Brisbane.

The Queensland government reportedly paid $2.1m for this year and next. The government estimates visitors will sleep in 300,000 rooms and inject $60m into the economy through accommodation, food and drink, and whatever else.

The UK Super League’s Magic Round began in Wales 12 years ago at Millennium Stadium, and tens of thousands of northerners bore down to drink and gad about in their colours in the cobbled Cardiff streets. Like the NRL’s version, the round in Britain works as a coming together of the tribes. They love an away day there. They wear their colours, sing a song, and do what they do at home just in another city.

Super League takes their festival to huge football and rugby stadiums outside the heartlands – Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle. The next one’s at Anfield in Liverpool. And everyone buys into it also. All junior fixtures are off for the weekend. Coach loads of fans stream into cities wearing shirts of many clubs, and not just Super League ones.

Famous derby games are played outside home stadia. There are family zones outside the grounds, and fans can go in and out. Tickets are cheap. Press is interested in something different – no other sport does it. It’s the only round in the season in which every game is on TV. The gear is already set up and it doesn’t cost any money.

And so successful is it that cities actively bid to host it.

Brisbane’s Magic Round began on Thursday night with Gold Coast Titans losing to Cronulla Sharks. It was an OK game of footy in front of a crowd was 17,113 – healthy for a school night though an underwhelming scheduling choice.

On Friday night it was Tigers and Panthers with a reported crowd of 35,122 though they must’ve been counting tickets purchased for the double-header because it was a quarter full at best.

The main event was Manly and the Broncos and by the time the home town team won 26-10, this fan wished he was there. Because rugby league needs this. It needs a pilgrimage, in which all the people of rugby league come together. And it needs to take the game to foreign climes and sell the game and its fans and their disposable income.

In 1987 rugby league took an exhibition State of Origin fixture to Los Angeles but it was ahead of its time. At the time it was a bit of a joke, yet if rugby league did it again, and pointed to the millions generated by wandering league people for a host city, they could sell a Magic Round to your Singapores, your Hong Kongs or your New Yorks.

It’s always been a bit insecure, rugby league, and a big bit narrow-focused. But the “product” is grand. And if fans of rugby league will travel to watch it, that’s a valuable thing.



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