York City Knights will kick off our preparations for the 2022 Betfred Championship season in January, becoming the rebranded Midlands Hurricanes first opponents on Friday 7th January (7:30pm KO) before facing Betfred Super League opposition when we play host to Castleford Tigers (3pm KO) on Sunday 16th January at the LNER Community Stadium!
The match-ups early in the new year will kick-off the rugby league year and, in the form of these two fixtures, we believe our fans will have their appetites whetted ahead of the new campaign.
The Friday evening clash against Midlands Hurricanes will be the first match since the club rebranded from Coventry Bears and they will be embarking on their first campaign in Betfred League One.
New Knights recruits Sam Davis and Jacob Ogden hail from the Midlands and came through the Midlands Hurricanes development squad and the match will give Knights fans the first chance to see their new-look squad in action.
On the match-up, Knights Chairman Jon Flatman said: “We’re really pleased to be the first opponents for Midlands Hurricanes since their rebrand.
“The work they’re doing to develop rugby league in their region is excellent and it will be great to play host to them in the new year.”
Alan Robinson, CEO of Midlands Hurricanes, said: “We wanted to open our season with a high-profile pre-season match and start to excite people across the game with our new brand.
“Playing York City Knights in Yorkshire gives us this, they are a club with immense brand value which gives us a great opportunity to launch the club early in 2022 and start to showcase ourselves in the best way possible.”
Tickets for this fixture will be priced at £10 for adults, £5 for concessions (17-21 years old, 65+ years old) and FREE for under-16s. Tickets will be available from the York Stadium Management Company Ticket Office in the coming weeks with home and away fans both able to purchase.
Nine days later, on Sunday 16th January, the Knights will play host to Castleford Tigers.
The match-up – which was scheduled to be a last sixteen tie in the 2020 Challenge Cup at Bootham Crescent – could also take place in front of a bumper crowd after the SAG and City of York Council agreed to remove capacity limits at the LNER Community Stadium.
The Knights would like to thank both SAG and the City of York Council for taking this decision ahead of our 2022 campaign.
Castleford, like the Knights, have seen change in their first-team squad in the off-season, spearheaded by Lee Radford who will be embarking on his first year as Head Coach of the West Yorkshiremen.
Internationals Bureta Faraimo and Mahe Fonua have both followed Radford from the Airlie Birds while Jake Mamo, Warrington Wolves’ top try-scorer in 2021, has also joined the club and will be keen to make an impression on Radford as the Tigers look for a strong 2022.
For the Knights, a busy squad-building period has seen eleven players arrive at the Knights for the upcoming season, headlined by powerhouse back-rower Pauli Pauli. Established Championship players James Glover and Liam Harris also join the club and will form key parts of a Knights squad with strong links to Castleford.
Head Coach James Ford is a Castleford-native and represented the club earlier in his career while new recruits Jordan Thompson and Jamie Ellis both pulled on the Tigers shirt earlier in their career. Thompson, a new arrival to the Knights from Leigh, came through the Castleford academy and spent four years in their first-team squad.
Further to that, Knights captain Chris Clarkson helped the Wheldon Road club into the 2019 Super League Play-Offs before moving to York, so it’s fair to say that there are links aplenty between the two clubs!
Aware that fans of both teams were disappointed not to be able to face off in 2020, this friendly is an opportunity for Knights fans to see their team face Super League opposition in person in our new home for the first time while it will also be the first chance for Castleford fans to visit our new stadium.
With the capacity increased to 8,510, we are hoping that fans pack out the LNER Community Stadium to create the atmosphere we all love for what will be a great afternoon of rugby league!
On the fixture against the Tigers, Flatman said: “It was important that James’ team had some top-level opposition to face ahead of the new season and Castleford will definitely be that.
“They will be the first Super League opponents York fans will have the chance to see in person at the LNER Community Stadium and, hopefully, with a big home and away following, it will be an afternoon to remember ahead of the season.”
Castleford’s new Head Coach Radford said: “York City Knights are a great club with an impressive new stadium, they have good people working there with Jon Flatman as Chairman and James Ford as coach, and I’m looking forward to visiting the LNER Community Stadium with our Tigers team.
“It will provide us a terrific challenge for our first fixture of the 2022 pre-season, Fordy is a top coach and I like the way his side plays rugby, so to go to their home and take them on should be exciting for both us and both sets of supporters.
“I hope plenty of Cas fans travel over to support, and I can’t wait to see them in the away end.”
Tickets will be priced at £15 for adults, £10 for concessions (17-21 years old, 65+ years old) and, as always, FREE for under-16s!
Tickets will be available in the coming weeks, with home and away fans both able to buy tickets directly from the York Stadium Management Company Ticket Office.
For hospitality bookings, please contact the Knights Office on 01904 670880 or a.cuthbertson@yorkcityknights.com.
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York City Knights vs Midlands Hurricanes
Friday 7th January 7:30pm
Adults – £10
Concessions (17-21 years old, 65+) – £5
Under-16s – FREE
York City Knights vs Castleford Tigers
Sunday 16th January 3pm
Adults £15
Concessions (17-21 years old, 65+) – £10
Under-16s – FREE
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Home and away fans will be able to purchase from the York Stadium Management Company Ticket Office in the coming weeks. Both clubs will advise fans when the tickets go on sale.
You can find the Ticket Office online at yorkcityknights.com/tickets, calling on 01904 942232 or emailing tickets@yorksmc.co.uk
For hospitality bookings, please contact York City Knights directly on 01904 670880 or a.cuthbertson@yorkcityknights.com.
Season ticket holders, Premier Club season ticket holders & Vice-Presidents will need to purchase a ticket for these matches should you wish to attend.
