Murrayfield Magic - 14 teams, 7 matches, 2 days, 1 venue

By Phil Gordos

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium had it easy. Six games in two days, no bother. For Murrayfield, the new host of rugby league's Magic extravaganza, there's an extra match to contend with this weekend now that Super League boasts 14 teams. That means two extra sides to accommodate, two extra sets of fans, additional officials and so on.

Here, BBC Sport takes a look at some of the logistical challenges facing the stadium manager, the clubs, the fans and the media.

Murrayfield and stadium manager Mark Laidlaw are used to staging big sporting events. Every year it plays host to at least two Six Nations rugby union games, while Hearts, one of Edinburgh's two Scottish Premier League clubs, played its Uefa Cup games there in 2006/07. The 67,800-capacity venue also staged the Challenge Cup final in 2000 and 2002.

Murrayfield doesn't have a roof, so any rain could take its toll on the pitch

A great deal of planning and co-operation will be required to ensure this weekend passes off without a hitch. For example, around 250 players and 100 coaching staff will use the two sets of dressing rooms over the two days, with players allotted around 45 minutes after a game to shower and change before being required to make way for the next side.

But how will the pitch stand up to seven games in less than 48 hours? Well, for the last two years, Murrayfield has successfully hosted the Edinburgh Sevens, which featured 16 nations, so no problem there as long as the rain holds off.

Edinburgh, according to the Rugby Football League's events manager Sally Bolton, has least rainfall in May, yet some showers are predicted for Saturday and Sunday. Not too much of a problem if you're only there to see one game, but if you're planning to see all seven you will definitely need your waterproofs.

In Cardiff, the weather was never a factor. The retractable roof on the Millennium made sure of that.

For some clubs, Murrayfield Magic starts on Thursday. That's when Harlequins team manager Dom Fenton and kitman Steve McGee will begin the long journey up to Edinburgh from London by van. The players and coaching team will fly up on Friday. While they are in the air, Fenton and McGee will head to Murrayfield.

"I am always a little apprehensive about these sorts of events because you have not checked everything in advance," adds Fenton. "We rely heavily on the RFL. For instance, we do not get to choose where we stay. You are allocated a hotel by the RFL."

St Helens forward Wilkin is not a great fan on the Magic showpiece

Quins get the Magic weekend under way when they take on Salford. "We will arrive at 1.30pm for the 3.00pm kick-off and return to the hotel straight afterwards before flying home on the Sunday," adds Fenton.

"There will be a short turnaround after the match. St Helens have our dressing room after us, so we have to be out 45 minutes to an hour after the final whistle."

Talking of Saints, it's fair to say Jon Wilkin is not a great fan of the Magic weekend. He can see the appeal as far as fans go, but, in his view, it does not hold much attraction for players. "You turn up earlier than you would for a normal game and get ushered around corridors for a while," says the BBC Sport columnist.

"It's always difficult to co-ordinate. I know my parents enjoy the weekend, but it's just another game on the fixture calendar for us. I'd prefer to be playing at Knowsley Road or the JJB."

We need to make sure it's a unique experience for every team... we want them to feel like it's a cup final RFL's Sally Bolton

Not every player agrees with Wilkin, though. Wakefield's Ryan Atkins is looking forward to the chance of playing on the big stage. "It could be seen as a bit of a pain with all that travelling for one game, but teams like St Helens get to play at amazing stadiums like Old Trafford and Wembley all the time," he says. "Personally I can't wait."

The RFL are keen to ensure the experience is as positive as it can be for the players. "We need to make sure it's a unique experience for every team," says Bolton.

"We want them to feel like it's a cup final. It is a regular league game but this elevates it to cup-final proportions. The teams understand what we are trying to achieve and work with us really well."

The RFL and the Scottish tourist board have worked hard to ensure the fans are well catered for in Edinburgh. Visit Scotland sent a bus to several Super League grounds to provide information about the city - where to stay, places to visit, buses to catch, that sort of thing - while the RFL has bags of experience to draw on after hosting the event in Cardiff for the last two years.

Rugby league fans have really warmed to the Magic Weekend

Finding accommodation in Edinburgh should certainly not be as problematic as Cardiff, where some fans had to shack up in either Neath or Bristol because rooms were in short supply in the Welsh capital.

There are more options in Edinburgh, which, by the simple law of supply and demand, should also ensure that prices do not become as inflated as they were in Wales. However, with the Great Edinburgh Run on Sunday, there may be competition for the best places to stay.

"One of the big benefits of Edinburgh as a venue is that, because of the Edinburgh Festival and other events held in the city, they've built up a really strong stock of accommodation," says Bolton.

"You can stay in a 5-star hotel or a B&B or a guest house. There's a massive range, which Cardiff didn't really have."

The one downside is that fans face a 15-minute walk from the city centre to the ground, unlike Cardiff, when they could roll out of a bar and virtually straight into the Millennium Stadium. The RFL are planning to provide plenty of entertainment along the route to make the walk go quicker.

606: DEBATE Cardiff has the better stadium I will concede but Edinburgh is so far in front of Cardiff on every other front it doesn't matter JB

They also plan to put on give the fans plenty to occupy themselves when they get to Murrayfield. The stadium has plenty of green spaces around it, which will be used to house a Fanzone and stage a tag tournament, for example. "We've brought the fun to Murrayfield," says Bolton. "We think it will be a much more social event than it has been previously." And don't forget, Keith Chegwin is back again to host the Mascot Games.

But what about getting to Edinburgh in the first place? It would seem to be an easier proposition than travelling to Cardiff, at least for rugby league fans in the north of England, but there's not much in it, according to Bolton.

Sure, there are quite a few direct trains from Manchester and Leeds, for example. To get to Cardiff by train, most fans had to change, usually at Bristol or Crewe. But generally there is little in it in terms of travel time. Spare a thought, though, for the supporters of Celtic Crusaders, Harlequins and Catalans Dragons.

It is a very important weekend for the city... it is about getting good media coverage and raising the profile of Scotland and Edinburgh Event Scotland's Stuart Turner

At least ticket prices are very reasonable. Fans can spend as little as £25 to see all seven matches, which works out at £3.57 a game. That should ensure that another decent turnout, with the RFL and Event Scotland hoping to eclipse Cardiff and exceed the 60,000 mark for the two days.

Stuart Turner, international events director for Event Scotland, is confident Edinburgh will be a great host. "It is a very important weekend for the city," he says. "It is about getting good media coverage and raising the profile of Scotland and Edinburgh."

He also says the revenue generated for the city's hotels and business will be valuable and estimates that rugby league fans could add millions to the city's coffers.

Sky plan to screen all seven matches live, but the BBC will covering all the action, too. All the games will be broadcast live by either Radio 5 Live or local radio. Radio Leeds have the busiest schedule. With five clubs to cover, they will be commentating on four of the seven games. "It's going to be a busy time for us in Murrayfield," says presenter James Deighton.

BBC Sport's George Riley (right) will have a busy two days behind the mic

Deighton will be joined at Murrayfield by two other commentators, George Riley and Terry Crook, as well as summariser Jamie Bloem. "That means we share the workload between us," says Deighton. "That's important on Sunday with three back-to-back games for us to commentate on."

Deighton is looking forward to the feast of rugby league action, though. "Although it is a lot of hard work and can be wearing on your voice, it is really enjoyable," he says. "You never get something like the Magic Weekend in any other sport and it is good to see everyone together in one place. It makes for a unique atmosphere for everyone - players, fans and us in the media."

BBC Sport website columnist Riley is also relishing the occasion. "This is my first taste of the Magic weekend," he says. "I'll be ridiculously busy, commentating for BBC Leeds on the Yorkshire sides and doing the RFL's official television interviews in between, but I can't wait."

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