Salford Red Devils to smash attendance record as Super League play-off sales surge
Salford Red Devils are set to break the stadium's attendance record when they host Leigh Leopards in the first round of the Super League play-offs. The Reds, who are one of six clubs battling it out for a place at Old Trafford, are closing in on a sellout of the Salford Community Stadium on Friday after excellent ticket sales.
Sales have already surpassed their existing attendance record at the stadium, which they moved to from The Willows 13 years ago. As of Tuesday evening, the club had already sold over 7,850 tickets, with a sellout of their 12,000 capacity stadium a possibility. Leigh have already sold out their away allocation.
The play-offs have captured the imagination, with Hull KR anticipating a sellout for their semi-final next week and Wigan Warriors reporting strong early sales. Super League officials say the Grand Final is "virtually guaranteed" a crowd in excess of 65,000 after early ticket sales too.
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Salford finished fourth on the league ladder, pitting them against a Leigh side that has surged into the top six after an excellent end to the season.
Rhodri Jones, the managing director of Rugby League Commercial, said: “The start of autumn is always an exciting time of year for Rugby League fans, and there seems to be an extra buzz around the sport this year. Maybe that comes from the excitement and unpredictability of the regular season, with all 162 games being televised for the first time under our latest broadcast agreement with Sky Sports.
“Now the focus turns to Old Trafford in October, with six teams still in contention to appear in the 27th Betfred Super League Grand Final – and two mouthwatering Eliminators to kick off the Play-Offs this weekend. There’s a real novelty about the opening match, with it being Salford’s first home Play-Off for five years, Leigh’s second appearance in the Super League Play-Offs, and the first time the teams have met at this stage of the season.
“With BBC Sport joining Sky Sports in covering the Play-Offs this year as part of our new broadcast agreements, it means that more people than ever will see the Saturday evening games – starting with Warrington versus St Helens this weekend.”