Hull KR CEO explains World Club Challenge venue choice as gauntlet laid down to Hull FC fans

Hull KR CEO Paul Lakin insists the Super League champions’ priority was always to stage the World Club Challenge in Hull – and has insisted he has no issues with Hull FC fans packing the MKM Stadium to cheer on Brisbane Broncos.

The Robins will play next year’s showdown between the two best club sides in world rugby league at the home of their arch rivals, in a move that Lakin insists makes financial sense and will satisfy what he believes will be huge demand from supporters of all teams.

There were brief considerations about moving the game to Elland Road, but once it became apparent Craven Park would be too small to stage the game, it left them with no choice but to go to the MKM Stadium across the city.

Lakin told Love Rugby League: “It was really important for people to try to retain it in the city. It’s a huge rugby league city and it’ll be fantastic for us to keep it in Hull.

“It was very quickly a no-brainer that we needed to move it. Financial reasons, supply and demand, it’s the biggest domestic game and you want as many people to experience it as possible. The players we have in our side, they want to play on the biggest stage possible.

“For financial reasons, it (Craven Park) wasn’t viable because we need to support the Broncos coming over here.”

Rovers will contribute to Brisbane’s travel costs to make the game happen, and with the time-slot confirmed as Thursday night at 7:30pm, Lakin insists it is perfect for Hull KR, who travel to Las Vegas on the Sunday, and for Brisbane, who need to head back Down Under for Round One of the 2026 NRL season.

When asked about Elland Road as an option, Lakin said: “It was always a Plan B but it never got off the ground, I never spoke to Elland Road. Someone did on our behalf as a mutual thing but it never got anywhere.

“The slot of Thursday night is because we fly out to Vegas on the Sunday so we wanted to recover from a World Club Challenge in time, and the Broncos wanted it as early as possible to give them as much time as possible to prepare for the NRL. It works for Sky and it works for both clubs.”

Lakin insists he expects the MKM to be full for the game – and joked that he didn’t care if that meant a chunk of Hull FC fans coming along to cheer on the NRL champions.

He said: “We love that idea. That’s great. This is a game for the sport as a whole.

“We’d expect people from all over the M62 corridor to come to this game. You don’t need to be a Hull KR fan, you just need to be a rugby league fan and support who you want.

“I would expect there are a lot of Hull FC fans who are huge rugby league fans who’ll want to watch the chance to come and see players like Reece Walsh in the flesh.”