Wheldon Road (known as the Mend-A-Hose Jungle for sponsorship purposes) is the home ground of
Castleford Tigers
The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England, that compete in the Super League, the top-level professional rugby league club competition in the Northern Hemisphere. The club have competed i ...
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 ...
Club in
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, England. It is on Wheldon Road, just outside
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the ...
town centre. The record attendance of 25,449 was for a
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 ...
match in 1935.
History
Wheldon Road officially opened in 1926 and was the home of association football club
Castleford Town F.C.
Castleford Town F.C. was an English football club based in Castleford, West Yorkshire.
History
The team played at Castleford Sports Stadium in 1907 and participated in the FA Cup for the first time in 1907–08, but were defeated by Worksop To ...
The following year
Castleford RLFC moved in after the completion of their first season (1926–27) after playing at 'Sandy Desert', which has since been redeveloped, and is the home of
Castleford Lock Lane
Lock Lane ARLFC are an amateur Rugby league Club in Castleford, West Yorkshire. Their home ground is the Hicksons Arena, part of the Lock Lane Sports Centre. The first team currently play in the National Conference Division One and the Acad ...
.
The record attendance at the ground is 25,449 for a third round Challenge Cup match against
Hunslet
Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the Leeds city centre, city centre and has an industrial past.
It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside (ward), Hunslet and Riverside ward of Lee ...
in 1935. The record
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 ...
attendance at the ground is 11,731 against
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
on 7 March 2004.
Floodlights were installed for the 1965–66 season.
In 2011 the Castleford signed a deal with developers who intended to redevelop the ground as a supermarket. This deal would fund a new £12 million stadium at nearby
Glasshoughton
Glasshoughton is a neighbourhood of Castleford in West Yorkshire, England, that borders on Pontefract. The appropriate Wakefield ward is called Castleford Central and Glasshoughton. It is home to the Xscape leisure centre and ski slope, the J ...
for which the club had received planning consent. In October 2012 the plans were scrapped due to lack of funding. In 2014 it was announced that the club would be moving to a
new stadium near
Glasshoughton
Glasshoughton is a neighbourhood of Castleford in West Yorkshire, England, that borders on Pontefract. The appropriate Wakefield ward is called Castleford Central and Glasshoughton. It is home to the Xscape leisure centre and ski slope, the J ...
along with a new retail park on the same site.
Layout
North Stand
The Wheldon Road End is a covered standing terrace and is considered the Kop end of the ground as it is particularly used by Castleford supporters.
East Stand
The Main Stand in the east end of the ground houses 1,500 seats and the changing rooms and tunnel. About two thirds of the stand is uncovered terracing each side of the Main Stand. The clubs pavilion is situated at this side of the ground. Most of the bars and food outlets are at this side of the ground inside the marquee
South Stand
The Railway End is at the south of the ground. It is an uncovered standing terrace, with a supporters' club, executive boxes and a scoreboard along its top. It is mainly used by away supporters.
West Stand
The Princess Street Stand is at the west of the ground. It is almost identical to the Wheldon Road End. It is completely covered and houses the TV and commentary gantry.
Sponsors
The stadium was renamed the Jungle from 2000 to 2010, initially due to sponsorship from online retailer Jungle.com. In 2010 PROBIZ became the stadium's sponsors after signing a three year deal. Wish Communications became sponsors for the 2013 season before Mend-a-Hose became sponsors in 2014.
International Matches
Rugby League Test Matches
List of International rugby league matches played at Wheldon Road is:
Wheldon Road at Rugby League Project
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Rugby League Tour Matches
Other than Castleford club games, Wheldon Road also saw Cas play host to various international touring teams from 1929–1994.
Gallery
File:WRE2.jpg, View of the Wheldon Road end from the Railway end
File:Castigers1.jpg, Main stand side
File:CAS2.jpg, View of the Railway end from princess street terrace
File:Princess st.jpg, Princess Street terrace
References
External links
Castleford Tigers official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jungle
Buildings in Castleford, West Yorkshire
Rugby league stadiums in England
Rugby League World Cup stadiums
Sport in the City of Wakefield
Castleford Tigers