Going Up? Castleford and Whitehaven
vie for promotion to Super League

Both clubs competing in Sunday?s National League One Grand Final have been approved for promotion to Super League in 2006, and go into the game at the Halton Stadium knowing that victory will mean that they will compete in the elite league next season at the expense of Widnes.

Following the completion of a process which began at the start of the National League season, clubs submitted applications which were assessed by the Rugby Football League?s Board of Directors and it can now be confirmed that Castleford and Whitehaven have achieved the required standard.

Nigel Wood, the RFL?s Chief Operating Officer, said: ?In applying for promotion, clubs are required to address stadium standards and financial performance. The two remaining clubs in the 2005 NL1 Play-Off Series have satisfied the RFL in this regard.?

Whitehaven?s hopes hinged on being allowed to play their opening matches away from the Recreation Ground while development work goes on. The club had previously applied to the RFL Board to stage home games at Brunton Park, Carlisle and this was approved.

?It?s very good news and a relief as well,? said Whitehaven chairman Des Byrne. ?We were fairly confident, but there were always niggles at the back of your mind.?

If the Cumbrians win this weekend?s final at the Halton Stadium it means professional rugby league will return to Carlisle?s Brunton Park, which hosted second division rugby for seven seasons from 1981-88.

Whitehaven hope to finalise the first phase of their re-development work by mid-October and say work would start almost straightaway on a new 1,000-seat stand - increasing the number of seats to more than 1,500 and lifting the ground capacity to 8,000-plus.

It would mean Whitehaven playing up to three home matches at Brunton Park before making a nostalgic return home, and the club are considering organising subsidised transport for the 80-mile round trip.

?It would have been tremendous to play our first-ever Super League match at the Recreation Ground, but we feel it?s important to bring our ground into the 21st century,? added Byrne.

?We see it very much as a short-term measure and we would hope to be back at the Recreation Ground by the end of March. We see this as the catalyst for other developments at the ground.?

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Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this story.

The National League One Grand Final is played this Saturday 8 October at Halton Stadium Widnes. Kick-off is 4:30pm local time with UK television coverage on Sky Sports 2. Radio coverage is on BBC Cumbria, available online through http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/sport/commentary.shtml, kicking off at 1:30am Sunday AEST and 3:30am Sunday NZST.