Hull KR will play Brisbane Broncos at the MKM Stadium
Hull KR chairman Paul Sewell says it is time to set the record straight amid criticism the club are using Hull FC’s home ground for one of the biggest fixtures in the club’s history.
Rovers will play Brisbane Broncos at the MKM Stadium on Thursday February 19, having opted against playing the match at their Sewell Group Craven Park home in an effort to double the attendance and allow as many people as possible to be at the game.
The 2025 treble winners had an opportunity to take the match overseas and earn significantly more money, while also being offered the chance to play the game in this country outside of East Yorkshire. A desire to play the game within the city boundary left only two options, and with the MKM Stadium boasting double the capacity of Craven Park, the board were in agreement to switch the match from east to west Hull.
That decision has opened the club up to criticism, while some Hull FC fans are using the topic as an opportunity to try score points on their rivals. Now chairman Paul Sewell has explained the decision, hitting back at critics with a response that the game is not being played at FC’s stadium, rather the city’s stadium.
“The MKM Stadium is a community stadium that sits in West Park and represents all the city, not just Hull FC or Hull City,” the KR chairman told Hull Live.
“I was one of the people who lobbied for this stadium and I know what it represents. There is a lot of noise that we are pinching Hull FC’s stadium, but I want to set the record straight on that.
“The stadium was built for the people of Hull, with a venue chosen in West Hull. The people in East Hull didn’t benefit directly from it, but if we can bring one world class event to that stadium for the people of East Hull to celebrate, and anyone else who wants to come along, then great!”
The debate over tenancy of the stadium is hardly new, with Hull City fans and Hull FC fans having often engaged in some friendly verbal jousting over that one down the years. For organisers and the Rovers board, the decision was based only on what was best for the club, the fans wanting to see the game and the event itself.
Rovers are promising not just a night to remember but a week of celebrations befitting a major occasion as Hull hosts the World Club Challenge for the first time. Organisers are confident of a sell out, with Australian Test star Reece Walsh and his Broncos also a great attraction for rugby league fans.
“It promises to be a fantastic occasion,” adds Sewell. “We have to have one eye on the health of the game over here and do our upmost for what’s best for the game. Having the match at the MKM and the extra number of people who can come, that’s best for the game.
“Hull is so often undervalued and shown not in the best light. As a true Hullensian it was the biggest buzz seeing a band like Coldplay come to Hull this summer. It was like when we brought City of Culture here, it gave me that sort of feeling and pride. This event will be fantastic for the city too.”