Northern has marked Super League’s 30th birthday by naming one of its trains in honour of the milestone and launching a £10 day ticket offer for supporters travelling across the North.
Northern has marked Super League’s 30th birthday by naming one of its trains in celebration of the milestone and offering fans the chance to travel anywhere on its network for just £10 a day. The train, named Super League 30, was unveiled at Leeds station during a special event attended by rugby league legends Adrian Morley and Danny McGuire.
Northern said the Class 195 unit will be seen by thousands of supporters over the coming months as it travels across the North of England. The celebration comes during Super League’s birthday week, 30 years after the competition was launched in March 1996.
To mark the anniversary, two fixtures from the competition’s opening round 30 years ago are being replayed, with Castleford Tigers taking on Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos hosting Warrington Wolves.
Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern said:
“We’re incredibly proud to support the Super League and wanted to do something special to mark its 30th birthday and the 10th year of our partnership. That’s why we have unveiled the Super League 30 train and decided to offer fans discounted tickets, which allow them to travel across the Northern network.
“We remain firmly committed to supporting all formats of the game, including the Women’s Super League and Wheelchair Super League, because it is so important to the communities we serve across the North of England.”
Northern, which has been an official partner of the league for the past 10 years, is also using the occasion to offer supporters discounted travel. The £10 tickets allow fans to travel anywhere on the Northern network for a day, giving them the chance to leave the car at home, watch their team play or enjoy a day out at any of more than 500 destinations.
Supporters of all Super League clubs based in the North of England can apply through their club for up to four unique codes, which can then be used to buy the discounted tickets or passed on to friends and family.
Bobby Bahadori, Commercial Director for Rugby League Commercial said:
“This weekend marks an important milestone for the Betfred Super League as we celebrate our 30th birthday and Northern have been a huge part of that with their support of the sport over the last decade.
“We’re very much looking forward to seeing the Super League 30 train in action alongside fans making the most of this brand-new offer Northern are providing which is a fantastic way to get to their next match.”
The announcement follows Northern’s recent confirmation of a new two-year partnership with Super League, Women’s Super League and Wheelchair Super League. As part of that agreement, the operator also runs an annual competition giving grassroots teams the chance to win Super League tickets, training equipment and match kit.
Last year, Northern named one of its trains after rugby league legend and motor neurone disease campaigner Rob Burrow as a tribute to his legacy. The operator worked with Rob’s family and the MND Association on a design to celebrate his life and raise awareness of the disease, which affects more than 5,000 people in the UK at any one time.
Northern is the UK’s second largest train operator, running 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
