Sky Sports Arena will become a dedicated rugby league channel for five days leading up to the opening matches of the 2021 Super League season on March 26; Classic and live matches, plus documentaries will all feature
Thursday 25 February 2021 14:26, UK
Sky Sports will be launching a pop-up channel dedicated to rugby league ahead of the start of the 2021 Betfred Super League season.
Ahead of the new campaign getting underway next month, Sky Sports Arena, the channel which typically shows Super League as well as a number of other sports, will show non-stop rugby league action from Monday, March 22 to Friday, March 26 - the day of the season's start.
Across the week leading up to the opening games of the 2021 season, Sky Sports will be showing 40 classic rugby league games in full to get viewers up to speed for the season ahead.
Featuring games from 1992 right up until last season's Super League Grand Final, there is plenty to whet the appetite ahead of a new season.
Matches included St Helens versus Bradford Bulls from 2000, featuring the iconic 'Wide to West' moment, as well as the 1994 Premiership Final between Castleford and Wigan, along with some World Club Challenge games and crunching derby fixtures from years gone by.
In addition to classic matches, the dedicated channel will be showing two live NRL fixtures on Thursday and Friday before playing host to the opening two games of the 2021 Super League season, also on the Friday.
There will also be a wide selection of archive content on show throughout the week, such as 'Super League Super Men', 'Jamie Peacock - A Legend of League', 'Warriors Down Under' and 'Rob Burrow: The Magnificent 7'.
Rugby league fans can follow updates around the dedicated channel as well as the new Super League season using #RugbyLeagueTakeover on Sky Sports social channels.
Friday, March 26: 6pm - St Helens vs Salford Red Devils; 8.15pm - Leigh Centurions vs Wigan Warriors.
Saturday, March 27: 15pm - Wakefield Trinity vs Leeds Rhinos; 5.15pm Catalan Dragons vs Hull Kingston Rovers.
Sunday, March 28: 12:30pm Hull FC vs Huddersfield Giants; 2.45pm - Castleford Tigers vs Warrington Wolves.
Thursday, April 1: 6pm - Wigan Warriors vs Wakefield Trinity; 8.15pm - Hull Kingston Rovers vs St Helens.
Friday, April 2: 12.45pm Warrington Wolves v Leigh Centurions; 3pm - Leeds Rhinos vs Castleford Tigers.
Saturday, April 3: 12.45pm - Salford Red Devils v Hull FC; 3pm - Huddersfield Giants vs Catalans Dragons.
