Featured image credit: Harry Walsh on Unsplash
Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium will continue to host the Super League Grand Final until at least 2027.
The new three-year hosting deal was announced today (Monday) by United and Rugby League Commercial. Old Trafford first hosted the event in 1998.
Since then, every edition of the Grand Final has taken place at Old Trafford, with the exception of the 2020 event, which was held at Hull’s MKM Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement has been made ahead of this season’s Grand Final, which will see Wigan Warriors take on Hull Kingston Rovers on Saturday.
Rhodri Jones, managing director of RL Commercial, said: “It’s perfect timing for us to be able to confirm this extension of Super League’s partnership with Manchester United ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final, as we look forward to another fantastic occasion at Old Trafford this weekend, with our biggest Grand Final crowd for at least seven years.
“Rugby league’s relationship with Old Trafford stretches back well beyond the Super League era, and since 1998 it has gone to another level as the Grand Final has become established, with so many unforgettable moments – including the brilliance of Rob Burrow in two Player of the Match performances for Leeds Rhinos.
“One of the highlights of the 2024 Betfred Super League Grand Final will be the introduction of the Rob Burrow Award for the Player of the Match, which made Rob so happy when it was announced before the start of this season. It will be another opportunity for rugby league to remember Rob, and also to pay tribute to all the other players who have won the Harry Sunderland Trophy at Grand Finals, and before that Premiership and Championship Finals, since it was introduced in 1965.”
Collette Roche, chief operating officer at United, added: “We are proud to continue the tradition of hosting the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford for another three years. It is always a special event in the national sporting calendar and this weekend will be particularly poignant with tributes being paid to the late Rob Burrow and so many other rugby league legends.”
The announcement comes amid uncertainty over the future of Old Trafford, with United said to be considering plans for a new 100,000-capacity stadium next to the ground instead of redeveloping the current venue.
Last month, United offered a first glimpse of what a rebuilt Old Trafford could look like after an economic report found that the club’s plans to regenerate the stadium district could deliver an additional £7.3bn (€8.7bn/$9.5bn) per year to the UK’s economy.
The initial findings of the report were based on a range of potential development opportunities in the Old Trafford area, including a 100,000-seat stadium, plus new mixed-use developments around the stadium and in the adjacent Trafford Wharfside area.
United has launched a survey for fans to share their thoughts on the future of the stadium, with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force set to deliver a final recommendation by the end of the year. It has been reported that a new stadium would cost United more than £2bn and take six years to build.
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