THE date has been set for next year’s Betfred Super League Grand Final – with the showpiece event at Old Trafford taking place earlier than normal.
The primary reason for the switch to Saturday, 3 October is due to the shift in football’s October international window. The final always takes place on the weekend when Manchester United’s home ground is guaranteed to be free for a blank weekend in football’s Premier League.
The changes to football’s international window which sees the September break extended but the October two weeks abolished will therefore leave rugby league to fall in around that.
That football schedule is currently in place until at least 2030.
It means that the 2026 Super League Grand Final will be played on the same weekend as the NRL Grand Final – which will also allow the England team more time to prepare for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in Australia.
How that schedule impacts on how the Super League fixtures – and where the spare week is found – will be revealed when the fixtures are announced in November.
There was a split round in last year’s competition that could take up the slack.
Meanwhile, Rugby League fans will be able to take advantage of a newly created Ticket+ option for 2026, with a premium ticket offered in the Sir Alex Ferguson stand with access to the Manchester Suite. Ticket prices will once again start at £30 for adults and £15 for U16s, offering fantastic value to Rugby League’s biggest night of the year.
The official attendance for the 2025 Betfred Super League Grand Final of 68,853 was the best since 2017.
Rhodri Jones, the managing director of RL Commercial, said: “Last year was the first time we’ve gone on sale during the Grand Final for the following year, and it generated such an early rush for tickets that we’re pleased to be doing it again.
“To have attracted an attendance of over 68,000 for the second consecutive year underlines the place of Grand Final night at Old Trafford in the sporting calendar, and completes a landmark 30th Super League season in fitting style.
“With the return of the Rugby League Ashes coming up and three more fantastic occasions for the sport at Wembley, the Hill-Dickinson Stadium and AMT Headingley, these are exciting times for Rugby League.”
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