'No-brainer' - Hull KR CEO Paul Lakin explains decision to stage World Club Challenge at Hull FC

'No-brainer' – Hull KR CEO Paul Lakin Explains Decision to Stage World Club Challenge at Hull FC

Hull KR will take the World Club Challenge to rival territory at the MKM Stadium early next year. Chief executive Paul Lakin confirmed that the decision followed the team’s triumph in the Super League, which earned them the right to face NRL champions Brisbane Broncos.

The match is set for Thursday, February 19. Instead of hosting the game at Craven Park, the club chose the larger MKM Stadium to maximize attendance in the home of rivals Hull FC.

“It was definitely a consideration to play it at home but it became a bit of a no-brainer,” said Lakin. “You want to hold it in the biggest stadium possible for as many people to see the best players in the world. We felt the World Club Challenge deserved a bigger platform.”
“If we'd kept it at our ground, a lot of the conversation would have been about how many people couldn’t get in. That would have created a lot of frustration, whereas this is a good-sized stadium that we will undoubtedly sell out,” he added. “It’ll be a fantastic and proud moment for us to be able to hold it in our city.”

This will be Hull KR’s first-ever appearance in the World Club Challenge, marking a historic moment for the team. Fans eager to see Reece Walsh and the Broncos in action will now cross the city divide for this one-off event.

“We’re keeping it in our city, which was the number one priority,” said Lakin. “That wasn’t easy because Hull City are playing at the ground on the Saturday.”
Author’s summary:

Hull KR opted to stage their first World Club Challenge at the MKM Stadium to give more fans access and showcase the event on a grand stage within their own city.

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Yorkshire Post Yorkshire Post — 2025-11-06

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