The importance of Magic Weekend to Newcastle Thunder

This weekend sees the return of Magic Weekend to St James Park, Newcastle. It's great to see reported strong ticket sales and hopefully everyone who attends has a great time in and around Newcastle.

For Newcastle Thunder this weekend is a huge weekend, it showcases rugby league in the city once more. Magic has been here before and there was also the successful Rugby League World Cup opening game of England v Samoa, but this weekend feels different and much more important.

As many of you will be aware, Newcastle Thunder restarted as a fan owned club late in 2023. We're run by volunteers and spearheaded by Chris Thorman with a team of mainly locally based players with the youngest squad in the top three divisions of rugby league. The squad includes a few students who play University rugby and for Thunder.

You only have to look at results to know that this group do it tough week in week out, but there heads have never dropped and despite results there's a real togetherness with this group and in the club. Ultimately the guys who headed up the rescue campaign didn't have to but there was an appetite amongst supporters to want to continue the Thunder journey.

This season has seen Cornwall sadly drop out of the league, typically just after Thunder had travelled down there and with the costs associated with that. We also then lose a home game later in the season so any extra revenue is more than welcome. So firstly, for any rugby league fans in and around Newcastle on Friday night please come down to Blaydon, wear your shirts with pride and come and get behind Newcastle Thunder at 19:30 at Blaydon rugby club as we take on Workington Town.

Blaydon rugby club

Now I appreciate that not everyone will be able to make Friday night, but if you're coming to Magic Weekend then you can do your bit. Every rugby league fan in Newcastle this weekend is an ambassador for the sport and we all know how great the rugby league family is. If you start talking to random people, which you inevitably will spread the word of rugby league and that of Newcastle Thunder. Although we're a Newcastle team, we represent the whole of the north east and every penny we get into the club goes into the club. One of my gripes is that Thunder could've been included in the advertising of the weekend itself to give more promotion. It's great to see the likes of Leeds and Wigan have put stuff out on X and it's appreciated.

Now to the weekend itself, as I've said it kicks off on Friday night with Thunder v Workington. There's loads going on in the city through the weekend, Saturday morning at 09:00 sees Parkrun taking place. I'll be at Leazes Park in the backdrop of St James Park volunteering in a Thunder shirt and it's always great to see the rugby league fans in their shirts taking part. Parkrun also takes place on the Town Moor, Jesmond Dene and Denton Dene in Newcastle. Get down and join in!

Leazes Parkrun with St James Park in the background

On the running theme on Sunday morning the Newcastle-Gateshead Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k takes place. This is the second year of this event, I took part in the marathon last year but will be doing the Rob Burrow Marathon in Leeds on 11th May. I'd encourage people to get out and support with the best place probably being on the Swing Bridge or along the Gateshead Quayside between The Baltic and The Glasshouse.

I hope everyone who comes up to Newcastle this weekend has a great time, do your bit to support the sport in the region and hopefully I'll see you at Blaydon on Friday night. Here's to a cracking Magic Weekend!