St James' Park
Newcastle (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Tyne and Wear, England
St James' Park, Newcastle (Newcastle Upon Tyne), England — opened 1880, 54 rugby league games hosted, home of Newcastle United (football) — no permanent rugby league tenant, but a regular host of Super League's Magic Weekend showcase.
Sourcing caveat: St James' Park has hosted Super League's Magic Weekend across seven events (2015-2018, 2021-2023, plus an 8th in 2025); the full six-match card for each year beyond the headline fixture could not be independently sourced for every year in this pass, so is not listed match-by-match here.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1880 |
| Home club | Newcastle United (football) — no permanent rugby league tenant, but a regular host of Super League's Magic Weekend showcase |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 54 |
| Top recorded crowd | 43,119 (Rugby League — Group A, 15 Oct 2022, 2021 Rugby League World Cup: England 60-6 Samoa) |
| Test matches hosted | 2 |
| Years used | 1909–2025 |
| Location | Newcastle (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Tyne and Wear |
Name history
- St James' Park — 1880–2011, 2012–present
- Sports Direct Arena — 2011–2012
Rugby league history
St James' Park's rugby league pedigree dates back to 23 January 1909, when it hosted the second-ever rugby league Test match and Great Britain's first Test win, beating the touring Australian Kangaroos. It became a fixture on the rugby league calendar as host of Super League's Magic Weekend from 2015-2018 and again 2021-2023, before the event moved to Elland Road in 2024. At the 2021 Rugby League World Cup it staged the tournament's opening match, England beating Samoa 60–6 on 15 October 2022 in front of 43,119.
St James' Park is primarily Newcastle United's football stadium, the ninth-largest club football ground in England by capacity.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 23 January 1909 — Northern Union (Great Britain) 15-5 Australia, attendance 22,000 (Great Britain's first-ever Test win)
- 8 November 1911 — Australia 19-10 Northern Union (Great Britain), attendance 5,317 (Ashes series)
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group A, 15 Oct 2022 | 2021 Rugby League World Cup | England 60-6 Samoa |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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