Super League has confirmed that Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium will host its Magic Weekend event for the first time in 2026.
The annual event, which sees an entire round of Super League fixtures played in one venue, will take place across the 4th and 5th July. The Liverpool-based stadium recently hosted a sell-out Ashes Test between England and Australia and becomes the seventh venue to stage the event since its inception in 2007.
Six Super League matches will be played across the weekend, including derby fixtures between Hull KR and Hull FC, and Wigan Warriors and St Helens. There are also plans for a dedicated Magic fixture between Catalans Dragons and Toulouse to be played at a neutral venue in France.
Rhodri Jones, Rugby League Commercial managing director, said, “With memories still fresh of an unforgettable occasion for the Ashes Test, we’re delighted to be able to confirm a return to Hill Dickinson Stadium for the 2026 Super League Magic Weekend. This will be the seventh venue to stage Magic since it was introduced as a new concept for sport in 2007 and our clubs, players and supporters are in for a treat.
“It’s a stunning stadium with outstanding facilities at all levels and also superbly located for summer on the waterfront, and with the many and varied attractions of Liverpool within easy reach. We continue to work with the Dragons and Toulouse on the feasibility of delivering a very special event in France too and we hope to be able to announce something in the near future on this.”
Basketball England has extended its partnership with Sport Structures to support the provision of coach education.
The renewed agreement aims to improve the quality of coaches entering and progressing through the basketball pathway by delivering a relevant and accessible programme of coach education. The collaboration will see Sport Structures continue to deliver courses including the Introduction to Coaching Basketball, the new Community Coach Award, the Club Coach Award, and the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Basketball.
Beyond course delivery, the partnership also includes a range of services designed to enhance coach development, such as responding to course requests, delivering a national programme of publicly available courses, hosting e-learning content and providing tailored learning and development support.
Brian Aldred, Coaching Delivery Manager, Basketball England, said, “We are delighted to continue our productive partnership with Sport Structures, reaching new as well as upskilling existing coaches. It is a key strand of BE strategy to provide more and better coaches for the basketball network and, by working together with Sport Structures, we are confident we can achieve that.”
Kath Percival, CEO, Sport Structures, said, “This partnership is about more than delivering courses – it’s about shaping a coaching workforce that’s ready to lead and inspire. Together, we’re building a coaching infrastructure that reflects the evolving needs of basketball and the people within it. By providing coaches with the right tools, confidence, and support, we’re helping to create a stronger, more inclusive basketball experience for everyone.”
The Chicago Bears have joined forces with the NFL and UNiDAYS watch party at Lancaster University for the game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The event formed part of the Bears’ ongoing activity in the United Kingdom, where the club has been expanding its presence this season.
The watch party at Lancaster marked the Bears’ first visit to the city as the organisation sought to reach fans beyond the UK’s larger markets. The activation, created in collaboration with the NFL and UNiDAYS, centred on the game on 28 November in Philadelphia. Bears sideline reporter Lauren Screeden attended the event in the UK and created content around American Thanksgiving traditions and local community activity, including cross-sport engagement.
The matchup featured two teams level at 8–3. Chicago had recorded a 31–28 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Philadelphia had been defeated 24–21 by the Dallas Cowboys.
Earlier in the season, the Bears had undertaken activity in London, including a fine art exhibition and merchandise collaboration with UK artist Christian Jeffery and OOF Gallery, and a week-long takeover at Beechwood Sports Pub, which concluded with a watch party for the team’s win against the New Orleans Saints on 19 October.
Activity in Lancaster also involved partnerships with university influencers Lily Bewsher, Jedidiah Sandjon and Beccy Gibson, who contributed to student-focused content, merchandise giveaways and competitions for signed items.
The watch party aligned with the game’s global free-to-air broadcast on Prime Video, marking the first time an NFL event has been streamed worldwide on the platform, with coverage available in more than 240 countries and territories.
Sarah Smith, Vice President of Brand Development and Fan Marketing Sarah Smith said, “Partnering with the NFL UK and UNiDAYS for our upcoming watch party at Lancaster University is another example of how we continue to push boundaries, engage the next generation of fans and deliver an experience that is uniquely Bears to an emerging and passionate fanbase.”
Amdavad has been formally ratified as the host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Amdavad, in the Indian state of Gujarat, has been confirmed as host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games after delegates from 74 Commonwealth member nations and territories approved India’s bid at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly held in Glasgow. The decision places the Centenary Games in India for the first time and follows the UK’s role in staging the most recent edition of the event, hosted in Birmingham in 2022.
The UK continues to play a central role in the Games cycle, with the ratification taking place in Glasgow ahead of the 2026 Games, which will also be held in the city.
Commonwealth Sport has confirmed that between 15 and 17 sports will feature at Amdavad 2030. The initial list includes athletics and para athletics, swimming and para swimming, table tennis and para table tennis, bowls and para bowls, weightlifting and para powerlifting, artistic gymnastics, netball and boxing. The remaining sports will be selected over the coming months, with the final programme to be confirmed next year.
Sports currently under consideration include archery, badminton, 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball, beach volleyball, cricket T20, cycling, diving, hockey, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, rugby sevens, shooting, squash, triathlon and para triathlon, and wrestling. Hosts may also propose up to two additional sports.
At the most recent Games in Birmingham, Australia finished at the top of the medal table, followed by England, Canada, India and New Zealand.
Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport said, “This is the start of a new golden era for Commonwealth Sport. After a ‘Games reset’ we head to Glasgow 2026 in fantastic shape to welcome the 74 teams of the Commonwealth before setting our sights on Amdavad 2030 for a special Centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games.
“India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance, and I’m delighted to report strong interest from a range of nations to host the 2034 Games and beyond. We start our next century for the Commonwealth Games in good health.”
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