Leeds confirm South Stand start date

Leeds Rhinos have confirmed the historic South Stand terrace at Headingley Carnegie Stadium will be demolished at the end of August this year to enable construction work to begin in September on a new stand.

The South Stand terrace was first opened in 1931 and in 2000 was renovated including a new roof at a cost of £750,000.

The final game for the South Stand will take place in Round 3 of the Super 8s on Friday 18th August prior to the break in the Super 8s for the Challenge Cup Final.

The Rhinos will play their remaining one or two Super 8s games and a potential Super League semi-final without the South Stand.

The Main Stand will be demolished at the end of September. The whole project is expected to be completed by late Spring 2019 with elements of the South Stand available during next season, although a precise timetable for this has not yet been agreed.

The Rhinos will play all their home games at Headingley Carnegie in 2018 and 2019 whilst the construction work takes place.

Membership details for 2018 will be announced at the start of August however the reduced capacity for next season will still provide enough space for all existing members to renew and see all the action at Headingley Carnegie.

Rhinos’ Chief Executive Gary Hetherington said: “The South Stand has been the heartbeat of our club for nearly a century and this will be a historic occasion.

“Whilst we are excited about the future and the modern facilities we will be able to offer our supporters moving forward, we will also be taking time to reflect on the incredible memories down the years and recording them for the next generation with a number of initiatives planned over the next two months.

“It will be an emotional occasion when we play our final game in front of the existing South Stand, but we have a number of matches between then and now to make sure that we give it a proper send off before the demolition begins.”