Magic Friday: Newcastle Thunder partners with Northern Pride for Bradford Bulls visit

Newcastle Thunder will loudly and proudly promote Rugby League’s inclusion message when they entertain Bradford Bulls at Kingston Park in the Betfred Championship this Friday (8 July, 7.45pm). 

Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the host city for UK Pride this year and Thunder are determined to make the most of the opportunity to demonstrate the club’s ongoing support for the LGBTQ+ community. The city hosts the Northern Pride festival from 22-24 July and Kingston Park will have a festival feel of its own when the Bulls come to town for the now-traditional pre-Magic Weekend curtain-raiser. 

There will also be a subtle change to the club’s iconic identity, with a one-off special kit to be produced and worn for the game, then auctioned off as part of the fund-raising efforts in support of Northern Pride. Newcastle Thunder general manager, Jordan Robinson, says: 

“Magic Friday is always a special occasion and we’re really looking forward to kicking off the Magic Weekend with this year’s event. It's always good to see not only our fans in force, but people coming along from all the Super League clubs and making it a real celebration of rugby league in the region.

“We have the added factor of supporting Northern Pride around this weekend’s game, so it will also be good to welcome fans from the LGBTQ+ community to a Thunder game and hopefully see them become new recruits to the Thunder Army.”

Earlier this year Robinson was a guest on BBC’s The LGBT Sport Podcast, which explores LGBTQ+ issues in the world of sport. Asked whether enough was being done in sport for LGBTQ+, Robinson said: “Sport is so inclusive. I’d say from being involved in sports myself that Rugby League is one of the standout sports for inclusivity.” 

Away from the match action, Thunder’s partnership with the Northern Pride festival will see high-quality pre- and post-match entertainment offering plenty to enjoy both for regular sports fans and event-goers in general. 

And with Thunder aiming for their highest attendance of the season, tickets are available online or by phoning 0191 214 5588 (option 1). Super League Magic Weekend ticket holders, ‘uniformed services’ workers and Pride Festival ticket holders can purchase their tickets from just £5, while general admission prices range from £15 (adults) to just £3 for under 16s.