The return of Newcastle Thunder’s Magic Friday will be in partnership with Northern Pride this July. The club has confirmed a festival-style event for the pre-Magic Weekend curtain-raiser to support the not-for-profit organisation in the year that Newcastle becomes the host city for UK Pride.
Bradford Bulls provides the opposition for this year’s edition on Friday 8 (KO 7.45pm), where the club is aiming to set a new attendance record and eclipse the current benchmark of 6,631, set against the same opponents in May 1999.
With Newcastle hosting UK Pride two weeks later between July 22 – 24 – in what is the 50th anniversary year of the first Pride march – the club wants to demonstrate its’ ongoing support for the LGBTQ+ community and continue to promote the importance of inclusivity within sport.
The collaboration will see the club, Northern Pride and additional partners, including Pride World Media, work to drive awareness of not only the events but also the ongoing work being done to promote sport as a safe place for everyone. In addition, Newcastle Thunder is also supporting fundraising efforts to support Northern Pride.
Northern Pride director Ste Dunn said: “We are huge fans of Newcastle Thunder, so it is amazing to have their support for Northern Pride during Magic Friday.
“We all know the benefits sports can have for improving both mental and physical health, which is why it’s fantastic that the team is working so hard to make sure that the sport is inclusive and a safe space for everyone.
“Magic Friday is sure to be a brilliant event and we’re so grateful to be involved, with all fundraising throughout the day going towards keeping the UK Pride weekend free for everyone to enjoy.”
Taking place on Newcastle’s Town Moor, a whole host of events are planned in the run up to Northern Pride, with tens of thousands of people expected to be attracted to the city in the run up to and during the 3-day festival.
Newcastle Thunder chairman Keith Christie said: “We’re delighted to be working teams from Northern Pride and Pride World Media on this year’s Magic Friday. Inclusivity is a major focus for rugby league, and for sport more generally, and, with Magic Friday taking place two weeks before UK Pride festival, we recognise this unique opportunity to further bolster awareness for Pride and continue to inform those in the sports community about the importance of creating an inclusive environment at what will hopefully be our biggest game of the season.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with the LGBTQ+ community and to introduce members to rugby league and Thunder for the first time.
“We have some exciting plans to announce in due course and I’m sure everyone who joins us at Kingston Park will enjoy a matchday that all members of the Thunder family will be talking about for many years to come.”
More details about the event and the entertainment pre- and post-match will be released in the coming weeks. Sponsorship packages are now available. Please contact kate.hindhaugh@newcastle-thunder.co.uk for more information.
For more information about the event, please visit www.thunderrugby.co.uk.
