Liverpool Upends Tradition: Everton Snatches Rugby League’s Magic Weekend

Paul Riverbank, 12/26/2025Everton’s waterfront stadium breathes new life into rugby league’s Magic Weekend, shifting the tradition from Newcastle to Liverpool—a move promising economic gains, vibrant fan engagement, and the start of an exciting new era for the sport.

For most in attendance, it felt a little like history brushing up against the present. Forget football for the afternoon. The day was rugby’s, and the sheer surge of the crowd seemed to announce—here, finally, was a stage fit for more than just Premier League drama. The Ashes draw may have stung, but the city itself had won something new.

What makes this moment so potent isn’t simply the numbers or the noise, though both were considerable. Look past the scoreboard and you’ll have seen club officials and Rugby League Commercial executives weighing the moment behind the scenes—watching, listening, mentally jotting down fans’ reactions and murmurs from the players. “It felt natural to be here,” England’s own Mikey Lewis remarked as the crowd thinned and the floodlights faded. “Like the game had belonged all along.”

It’s not hyperbole. Until now, Newcastle’s St. James’ Park had been the steady anchor for rugby league’s Magic Weekend—a rollicking celebration that reliably pumped millions into the North East’s local economy each summer. The concept worked, and there weren’t many grumbles about familiarity.

But the Ashes test at Hill Dickinson served up no shortage of second thoughts. By the time November’s clouds cleared, Magic Weekend’s return to Newcastle was less of a certainty and more of a polite formality. Feedback poured in—unprompted, enthusiastic, insistent that Liverpool’s waterfront had elevated the experience.

Rhodri Jones, who oversees Rugby League Commercial, didn’t mince words. “When you see what happened here, what people felt, it made the decision simpler than it probably looks from the outside.” Everton’s pitch—timing, venue, a prime spot on the summer calendar—ticked every box that mattered.

Was shifting the event a big risk? Jones appeared unfazed, brushing the notion aside with a shake of the head and a thoughtful look. “Some might call it a gamble, but after what we saw in November…I wouldn’t. The history in Newcastle has been rich, don’t get me wrong. But change is only a risk if nothing else works. Here, it just fit.”

With the 19th Magic Weekend now set for July, anticipation cuts through lingering doubts. Hull KR launch proceedings against Hull FC—the kind of local rivalry that usually leaves the stands stunned by full time. Saturday continues with Huddersfield Giants facing York Knights and then Leigh Leopards tangling with Warrington Wolves. If that’s not enough, Sunday brings a long-awaited Bradford Bulls-Leeds Rhinos showdown—their first Magic Weekend clash since 2012. By the time Wakefield takes on Castleford and Wigan squares off against St Helens (a fixture inked in every supporter’s calendar since time immemorial), the city will have well and truly shed any label of being a rugby league outsider.

Behind the fireworks on the field, Everton and Liverpool’s waterfront are busy assuming a new identity. It’s no longer simply about football or rugby—it's about continuity and invention, about a tradition that might just have found fresh soil. Jones summed up the optimism: “There’s so much happening, on and off the pitch, it’s easy to see why the Magic Weekend appeals. After the response in November, it just felt right to bring it back, and credit to Everton for moving so fast.”

The November match set expectations sky-high, but the prevailing mood is less about measuring up and more about settling in. That rare, almost electric crowd noise when England rallied during the Ashes—those are the moments everyone wants to replicate, weekend after weekend, year after year.

Whether this new tradition fully takes root remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Liverpool’s Hill Dickinson Stadium proved that it’s no longer just a newcomer to the rugby league circuit. For club owners and business owners, fans and casual visitors alike, it just might be the start of something lasting.

On a chilly November afternoon at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium, thousands drifted through the turnstiles with expectations humming in the air. England versus Australia in the rugby league Ashes—this alone was headline material. And though the result left locals short on celebration, something lingered long after the final whistle: the distinct sense that both Liverpool and Everton’s gleaming new waterfront home had stumbled onto a new sporting chapter.For most in attendance, it felt a little like history brushing up against the present. Forget football for the afternoon. The day was rugby’s, and the sheer surge of the crowd seemed to announce—here, finally, was a stage fit for more than just Premier League drama. The Ashes draw may have stung, but the city itself had won something new.What makes this moment so potent isn’t simply the numbers or the noise, though both were considerable. Look past the scoreboard and you’ll have seen club officials and Rugby League Commercial executives weighing the moment behind the scenes—watching, listening, mentally jotting down fans’ reactions and murmurs from the players. “It felt natural to be here,” England’s own Mikey Lewis remarked as the crowd thinned and the floodlights faded. “Like the game had belonged all along.”It’s not hyperbole. Until now, Newcastle’s St. James’ Park had been the steady anchor for rugby league’s Magic Weekend—a rollicking celebration that reliably pumped millions into the North East’s local economy each summer. The concept worked, and there weren’t many grumbles about familiarity.But the Ashes test at Hill Dickinson served up no shortage of second thoughts. By the time November’s clouds cleared, Magic Weekend’s return to Newcastle was less of a certainty and more of a polite formality. Feedback poured in—unprompted, enthusiastic, insistent that Liverpool’s waterfront had elevated the experience.Rhodri Jones, who oversees Rugby League Commercial, didn’t mince words. “When you see what happened here, what people felt, it made the decision simpler than it probably looks from the outside.” Everton’s pitch—timing, venue, a prime spot on the summer calendar—ticked every box that mattered.Was shifting the event a big risk? Jones appeared unfazed, brushing the notion aside with a shake of the head and a thoughtful look. “Some might call it a gamble, but after what we saw in November…I wouldn’t. The history in Newcastle has been rich, don’t get me wrong. But change is only a risk if nothing else works. Here, it just fit.”With the 19th Magic Weekend now set for July, anticipation cuts through lingering doubts. Hull KR launch proceedings against Hull FC—the kind of local rivalry that usually leaves the stands stunned by full time. Saturday continues with Huddersfield Giants facing York Knights and then Leigh Leopards tangling with Warrington Wolves. If that’s not enough, Sunday brings a long-awaited Bradford Bulls-Leeds Rhinos showdown—their first Magic Weekend clash since 2012. By the time Wakefield takes on Castleford and Wigan squares off against St Helens (a fixture inked in every supporter’s calendar since time immemorial), the city will have well and truly shed any label of being a rugby league outsider.Behind the fireworks on the field, Everton and Liverpool’s waterfront are busy assuming a new identity. It’s no longer simply about football or rugby—it's about continuity and invention, about a tradition that might just have found fresh soil. Jones summed up the optimism: “There’s so much happening, on and off the pitch, it’s easy to see why the Magic Weekend appeals. After the response in November, it just felt right to bring it back, and credit to Everton for moving so fast.”The November match set expectations sky-high, but the prevailing mood is less about measuring up and more about settling in. That rare, almost electric crowd noise when England rallied during the Ashes—those are the moments everyone wants to replicate, weekend after weekend, year after year.Whether this new tradition fully takes root remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Liverpool’s Hill Dickinson Stadium proved that it’s no longer just a newcomer to the rugby league circuit. For club owners and business owners, fans and casual visitors alike, it just might be the start of something lasting.