Rugby league will be played at the Ricoh Arena for the very first time next month for one of Coventry Bears’ league matches.

The Coventry Bears are to play their Kingstone Press League One match against Keighley Cougars at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday, 8th May 2016 (kick-off 3pm), in a ground breaking move by the club that will put rugby league in the Midlands spotlight.

In a bid to promote the game, the Bears and Wasps have agreed a reduced ticket price of £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, while under-12s, Wasps Season Members and Coventry RFC members are free to attend.

In addition, all match ticket holders will have a further opportunity to watch the Coventry Bears for a reduced price when they play Doncaster RLFC the following week.

Alan Robinson, Managing Director of the Coventry Bears said:

This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase rugby league and what the Bears are all about to fans across the city. We have some fantastic community projects underway at the moment and hope that everyone will get behind us as we take on one of the top clubs in League One.

We have also included a great ticket deal for supporters to follow us the week after as we take on Doncaster at the Butts Park Arena and hope fans will take this opportunity to get behind us this summer!

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of Wasps, commented:

This is another big step in the development of Wasps’ strategy for the Ricoh Arena. We are delighted that the Coventry Bears want to play one of their showcase games of the season at the Ricoh Arena.

We have always supported a close relationship between rugby union and rugby league and look forward to finding further ways to develop rugby league in the Midlands.

Andy Gibb, Managing Director of the Ricoh Arena, said:

That staging rugby league at the Ricoh Arena for the first time was a great opportunity to showcase another sport and was another exciting move for the city.

To host the Coventry Bears at the Ricoh Arena presents a great opportunity for the venue and demonstrates that the Ricoh Arena is a truly flexible destination and a genuine home for elite sports in the Midlands.