Headingley Rugby Stadium shares the same site as
Headingley Cricket Ground
Headingley Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in the Headingley Stadium complex in Headingley, Leeds, England. It adjoins the Headingley Rugby Stadium through a shared main stand, although the main entrance to the cricket ground is at the op ...
and is home to
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
. Headingley is the
5th largest rugby league stadium in England.
History
1889-1980s: Construction and development
Leeds St Johns, who were later to become Leeds Rugby League Football Club then
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
, moved to Headingley in 1889 and built Headingley stadium. Leeds were founder members of the
Northern Union in 1895 and Headingley hosted
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
's first ever
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
Final in 1897.
In the 1930s, major developments took place on two sides of the rugby ground. The South Stand was completed in 1931, with some of the work being carried out by club players, while the old wooden North Stand was burned down during a match against Halifax on 25 March 1932. By the end of 1932, a new North Stand had been completed. The record attendance at Headingley was 40,175 for the rugby league match between Leeds and
Bradford Northern
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is pre ...
on 21 May 1947. Undersoil heating was installed in 1963 but has since been removed due to ongoing problems, and
floodlight
A floodlight is a broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage ...
s were installed in 1966. The
1970 Rugby League World Cup Final
The 1970 Rugby League World Cup Final was the conclusive game of the 1970 Rugby League World Cup tournament and was played between Great Britain and Australia on 8 November 1970 at the Headingley ground in Leeds, England.
Background
The 1970 Ru ...
between
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
was played at the stadium before a crowd of 18,776.
The third and deciding Test of the
1978 Ashes series was played at Headingley before a crowd of 30,604.
1990s–2000: Rugby union and World Cup games
New changing rooms were added in 1991, the same year
Leeds RFC were founded and moved into Headingley. In July 1998, Leeds RFC became part of the world's first dual-code rugby partnership, Leeds Rugby Limited.
Headingley only hosted one match of the
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact ...
, held in England and Wales to celebrate the centenary of rugby league in England. Host nation
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
defeated rugby league minnows
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
46–0 in front of 14,041 fans.
Two matches of the
2000 Rugby League World Cup were held at Headingley which included
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
v.
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
which England won by 66–10 in front of a crowd of 10,052 and latterly the quarter final fixture between England and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
which England won by 26–16 and attracted 15,405 spectators.
2001–2006: East Stand expansion and redevelopment
In 2001 capacity was increased marginally by extending the terracing around the corner in between the Western Terraces and the North Stand.
Since 2005 Headingley rugby stadium has been the venue for the annual
varsity rugby union match between
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univ ...
and the
University of Leeds
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
which has attracted over 11,000 spectators.
2005 also saw the construction of the Carnegie Stand, built to replace the Eastern Terrace. The new stand had two tiers with 1,844 seats and hospitality suites. It was opened on 1 September 2006 for the
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
match between
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
and
Warrington Wolves
The Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league club based in Warrington, England, that competes in the Super League. They play rugby at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2004.
Founded as Warrington Z ...
.
2012–2015: More international games
![The_South_Stand_at_Headingley_Stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/The_South_Stand_at_Headingley_Stadium.jpg)
The
2012 World Club Challenge saw the first time that the stadium was fully packed to its capacity when the home team, and
Super League XVI
The 2011 Super League season (known as the Engage Super League XVI for sponsorship reasons) was the 16th season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leaders' Shield o ...
Champions,
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
took on the
2011 NRL winners the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
. 21,062 turned out to see the Rhinos defeat Manly 26–12, the game being highlighted by
Ryan Hall's 90 metre intercept try midway through the first half. This saw Leeds gain some revenge for their 28–20 loss to Manly in the
2009 World Club Challenge at
Elland Road.
The stadium hosted two matches of the
2013 Rugby League World Cup: a Group B game featuring
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, the
defending World Cup Champions, and
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
on Friday 8 November which the Kiwis won 56–10 in front of an audience of 18,180. Headingley also hosted a Quarter-final game on Friday 15 November between New Zealand and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
which New Zealand won by 40–4 to a crowd of 16,207.
In 2015 Headingley hosted
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
again for the first time since 2013 where they took on
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
as a warm up for their
test series against England. It also marked 120 years of rugby league being played at the stadium.
2016–2019: Major redevelopment
In 2015 it was announced that the North and South stands were to be rebuilt as part of the overdue redevelopment of the stadium. Parts of the South Stand were condemned in 2011 and the club wanted to modernise the rest of the ground after the new West Stand was completed in 2006.
The South Stand was demolished at the back end of the 2017 season with the North Stand following at the end of the season.
The new South Stand was officially opened on Boxing Day 2018. The standing capacity remains the same as the previous stand with additional seats due to the new North Stand being smaller. The new North Stand opened in May 2019
2020–present
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and lockdowns Headingley was chosen as one of the Super League venues to host multiple rounds behind closed doors.
The stadium also hosted the 2022
Championship Summer Bash.
Future
The rebuilding of the North and South Stands in 2018 future proofed the stadium. The only part of the ground that remains untouched is the Western Terrace. The club have explored possibilities of expanding the stand and putting a roof over it however due the there being a public right of way and residential houses plans have never been able to come to fruition.
Layout
North Stand
Capacity- 3,825 (seated)
![Headingley_rugby_north_stand_2020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Headingley_rugby_north_stand_2020.jpg)
The North Stand backs onto the cricket stadium. The stand also houses the changing rooms as well as the media and journalists and a banqueting suite that is shared by both the cricket and rugby grounds.
Global East Stand
![Extentia Stand-Headingley Rugby](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Extentia_Stand-Headingley_Rugby.jpg)
Capacity- 4,550 (1,844 seated)
The Global East Stand was completed in 2006 and replaced the Eastern Terrace. The stand has two tiers; the bottom contained terracing whilst the top contains seating, hospitality boxes, bars and a restaurant. It was originally known as the Carnegie Stand but was renamed Extentia Stand in late 2018.
South Stand
![New Headingley South Stand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/New_Headingley_South_Stand.jpg)
Capacity- 7,721 (2,217 seated)
The South Stand is well known in rugby league for being the ground's popular side. The original stand was open to the elements but, following rebuilding in the 1930s, it was partially enclosed by a pitched roof. The roof was extended to cover the entire stand in the 1960s.
The stand was rebuilt in 2018 and contains two tiers, the bottom tier is terracing and the upper tier is seating. The stand also contains the TV gantry.
Prior to the replacement of the original roofs in 1999, the front of the South Stand featured a narrow spiral staircase, in full view of all spectators, via which television commentators accessed the television gantry on the roof. Rugby League commentator Eddie Waring claimed that, to brave the taunts and insults from fans as he climbed the stairs, he would sing the hymn, "
Fight the Good Fight
"Fight the Good Fight" is a traditional, classic favorite hymn and Christian song.
It was written by John Samuel Bewley Monsell and published in ''Hymns of Love and Praise for the Church’s Year'' (1863). It is sung to the tune ''Pentecost' ...
" to himself until reaching the sanctuary of the commentary box.
Western Terrace
Capacity- 3,604
The Western Terrace is the only part of the stadium not covered and houses the away fans. It is the only part of the ground that has had no major redevelopment nor are there any plans to do so as there is a public right of way and housing behind it. The biggest change to the Western Terrace is the permanent video board in the South West corner which replaced the temporary one in the North West corner.
Sponsors
Headingley first sold naming rights in 1990 to brewers Bass following which the stadium's official name became Bass Headingley. Following the end of this arrangement the ground did not have another naming rights sponsor until 2006 when
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univ ...
took the rights during the construction of the Carnegie Stand.
In 2017, Headingley sold the naming rights to Bingley-based publishers
Emerald Group during the redevelopment of the North and South stands. Emerald withdrew their sponsorship from the full Headingley complex in November 2021, after which the rugby stadium reverted to its original name of Headingley Stadium.
Other uses
Rugby League Internationals
World Cup matches
Headingley has hosted 12 World Cup games since England first hosted the tournament in 1960. The stadium will host three more games during the postponed 2021 World Cup.
Women's World Cup matches
Test matches
List of rugby league test matches played at Headingley.
Tour Matches
Other than Leeds club games, Headingley has also seen Leeds, the county team
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
and a
Northern Union XIII (sometimes called English League) side play host to various international touring teams from 1911–2015.
World Club Challenge
Headingley has hosted five games of the
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) and the European Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. The first such match was pl ...
/ Championship /
Series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
between 1997–2016.
Rugby League Finals
First Division finals
The ground has hosted six of the old
First Division Finals. The first being in 1914 when Salford beat Huddersfield and the last in 1968 when Wakefield beat Hull KR.
Since Super League inception in 1996,
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
has hosted all but one
Grand Final
Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Sy ...
.
Second Division finals
Headingley hosted its first
Championship Grand Final in 2007 when Castleford beat Widnes in front of 20,000 people to be promoted to Super League. The event returned in 2014 when Leigh beat Featherstone however they were not promoted due to Super League then licensing period.
In 2022, the
Million Pound Game
Million Pound Game (stylized as £1M Game) was an annual playoff final rugby league game that decides which Championship team will be promoted to Super League the following season. Between 2015 and 2018, the game was played as part of The Qualif ...
will be played at Headingley after it previously being played at the home of the highest seeded team.
Third Division finals
As part of the Championship Finals that included the
Championship Grand Final, Headingley hosted the
Championship 1 Grand Finals
Challenge Cup Semi Finals
Headingley has hosted 13
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
semi finals and one replay since 1981. The last semi final to be held at Headingley was in 2015 when
Hull KR
Hull Kingston Rovers are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England, that competes in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby league. The club has won five league championships, and one Challeng ...
beat
Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
. In recent years the semi finals have been held at one neutral venue as a double header.
References
{{Authority control
Rugby league stadiums in England
Rugby League World Cup stadiums
Rugby union stadiums in England
Sports venues in Leeds
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Rhinos
Rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
Sports venues completed in 1890