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Manchester's Magic weekend

Image: Etihad Stadium: Will host Super League's 2012 Magic Weekend

The RFL has confirmed Manchester City's Etihad Stadium will host Super League's annual Magic Weekend in 2012.

RFL confirm 2012 fixture list

The RFL has confirmed Manchester City's Etihad Stadium will host Super League's annual Magic Weekend in 2012. The event, which sees a full round of games played at one venue, will be held over the weekend of May 26-27 - with the schedule for the games set to be confirmed in the new year. The Magic Weekend concept was initiated in 2007 and has previously been played at the Millennium Stadium and Murrayfield. RFL chief executive Nigel Wood said: "The Magic Weekend continues to grow in stature and popularity and I'm sure the move to the Etihad Stadium will take the event to the next level after the success of previous Magic Weekends in Cardiff and Edinburgh." Manchester City operations director Steve Sayer added: "At Manchester City we are treated to top-quality football week-in, week-out and we are certain that this Super League showpiece will prove similarly enjoyable for the fans of all the participating clubs." The plans for the Magic Weekend, which will form round 15 of Super League XVII as opposed to round one last season, were among the highlights of the full 2012 fixture list. Defending champions Leeds Rhinos will begin their campaign with a home game against Hull KR - whom Craig Sandercock will take charge of for the first time - on Friday, February 3.

Blockbuster

Newcomers Widnes Vikings, returning to the elite division after a seven-year absence, will host Wakefield on their new artificial surface at the Stobart Stadium on the same night. Salford will begin life at their new City of Salford Stadium with a visit from Castleford the following day, while the newly-renamed London Broncos will also take on St Helens at the Stoop on Saturday. Hull - in new coach Peter Gentle's first match - play Warrington, Wigan host Huddersfield and Catalan Dragons visit Bradford on Sunday. Saints play their first match at their new Langtree Park home when Salford visit in round two, a weekend which will also see Wigan host Leeds in an early-season blockbuster. Wakefield's round three derby against Leeds will be postponed as the Rhinos take on NRL champions Manly Sea Eagles in the Heinz Big Soup World Club Challenge on February 17. Super League clubs have a free weekend on June 16-17 to facilitate a mid-season England international. England took on the Exiles in the International Origin match amid a full round of Super League fixtures last year, a situation not considered ideal. Further details of the nature of the international will be announced in due course. As is traditional, all teams are in action twice over the Easter weekend, with fixtures on April 5 or 6 and 9 or 10 and there are further blank weekends for Carnegie Challenge Cup fixtures. The Super League season will climax with the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 6, six weeks after the Challenge Cup final at Wembley on August 25.

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