 Murrayfield takes over from the Millennium Stadium as weekend host |
I'm a big fan of the Magic Weekend. It just encapsulates the changes we have seen in the game of rugby league over the past few years. I could never have imagined 20 years ago what would have happened to the sport - I certainly wouldn't have envisaged a Super League and a weekend where all the teams in the top flight converged on one venue to play an entire round of games. Back in the late 1980s, rugby league was stuck with its blinkers on. It has taken an inventive and imaginative management to break free of the game's traditional boundaries. The great thing about the Magic Weekend is that it attracts not only rugby league devotees but those who like the excitement and the atmosphere that surrounds a major sporting showpiece. Sport today is all about the big events which attract both fans and the general public. What's more, rugby league is a great family game. When supporters get together, as we have seen in Cardiff for the past two years, there is a fantastic atmosphere. Despite the on-pitch rivalries, fans wander around in their replica shirts, mixing happily with each other. The Magic Weekend will give rugby league a huge boost in Scotland. With no professional rugby league club in the country, there is very little media interest in the game. But put an event on like this, where the big names and big teams come to town, and it makes a noticeable difference. It gives the sport credibility and shows it off to a wider audience.  | 606: DEBATE |
The Scottish Rugby Union seems to have got behind the event in a positive way. It has promoted the Magic Weekend very well, better than Cardiff did, in my view. To play at a big stadium like Murrayfield is a great occasion for those who don't normally appear in Grand Finals or Challenge Cup finals. For youngsters who have maybe just broken through into the first team, to have the chance to tread on the famous pitch in front of a crowd of 30,000-40,000 spectators is quite an occasion. As for clubs like Celtic Crusaders and Harlequins, whose crowds are smaller than the likes of Leeds and Wigan, there must be a real sense of occasion when they travel to either the Millennium Stadium or Murrayfield. I'll be commentating on two games for BBC Radio Merseyside - one on each day - but I'll also be reporting and doing interviews on the other games. I'm really looking forward to the games, but most of all I'm looking forward to the taking in the atmosphere that goes hand in hand with occasions like this. There is a real family spirit and everyone - children and adults - enjoys a good day out. I'm sure the people of Edinburgh and Scotland will discover that the game of rugby league has something very special to offer.
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