🏟️ Hull KR has achieved a massive commercial victory ahead of the 2026 season, announcing that all tickets for their highly anticipated “Clash of the Champions” match against the Brisbane Broncos have sold out. The club also claims the feat has set a new rugby league attendance record for the venue, the MKM Stadium.
All 24,600 tickets for the match, scheduled for February 19, 2026, were purchased before even reaching general release, underscoring the enormous appetite for the event.
Record-Breaking Sell-Out
The Robins stated that this sell-out surpasses the previous highest attendance for a rugby league match at the MKM Stadium—the home ground of their city rivals, Hull FC—which stood at 23,000 fans for a city derby in 2007.
Hull KR Chief Executive Paul Lakin hailed the accomplishment:
> “This is a truly phenomenal achievement and testament to so much work behind the scenes, and our loyal fanbase.”
>
Lakin also claimed that the speed of the sell-out makes it the fastest-selling World Club Challenge ever. He thanked the fans, adding that the event “promises to be a magnificent occasion” and an opportunity to “show the world what we, and the city of Hull, are all about.”
Reflection of Success and Appeal
Nigel Wood, Chairman of RL Commercial, echoed the excitement, suggesting the rapid sell-out is a “reflection of the feel-good factor” currently surrounding Hull KR following their treble-winning season of 2025.
Wood added that the success is “further evidence of the appeal of major international Rugby League events,” noting that the match has “captured the imagination not only of Hull KR’s growing support base, but of the city of Hull and of rugby league fans.”
This marks the second consecutive year of a Betfred World Club Challenge sell-out in England, following the success of Wigan Warriors’ victory over Penrith Panthers in February 2024.
The Clash of the Champions is just the start of a busy international schedule for Hull KR, who will travel to Las Vegas just one week later to face the Leeds Rhinos in the highly anticipated ‘Battle of Yorkshire’ across the Atlantic.