#magicweekend

Hull FC captain Andy Lynch is relishing the prospect of a second Hull derby appearance as he prepares to lead his side into battle against fierce rivals Hull Kingston Rovers at the Magic Weekend on Saturday May 26 (7.00pm) at the Etihad Stadium.

Hull’s new recruit for 2012 has plenty of experience in big derby fixtures, having captained Bradford Bulls against Leeds Rhinos on numerous occasions before joining the Black and Whites,  but having made his first appearance in a Hull derby earlier this season, the experienced prop is eager to return to the pitch against Hull KR again this weekend.

“Hull derbies are a great spectacle,” said the former England captain. “Although the playing side of the game is no different to the Bradford v Leeds fixtures, the passion of the fans is certainly more intense in the Hull derby.

“The games always have a great atmosphere and they attract the interest of all fans, not just those of Hull FC or Hull KR. Even when I played for Bradford, the Hull derby always had a lot of excitement surrounding it and it was one of those games you never wanted to miss seeing.

“As players we try to make it as entertaining as possible by putting in the best performance we can and I think fans can expect a hugely physical game on Saturday because both sides are relishing the contest.”

After a strong start to the season, Hull FC have had mixed results in recent weeks with a narrow 14-12 victory against London Broncos coming last time out, but Lynch is confident that his team will put in an improved performance against their closest rivals.

“We have been working hard this week in training to put a few things right after last week’s result,” said the Hull FC skipper.

“We secured a win against Hull KR earlier in the season but that has no impact on Saturday’s game. We are going into the game confident, but they will be confident too.

“Hull KR are a great team with some talented players and with the likes of Kris Welham and Ben Galea, they have threats all over the field. We are anticipating a tough game and big battle but we are focused on achieving the two points.”

The experienced forward has been a regular at former Magic Weekend fixtures and is confident that this year will surpass the previous events.

“I love the move to Manchester; I think this year’s Magic Weekend will be the best one yet,” said Lynch.

“It is a perfect location that is close to the majority of Super League clubs so there should be a great crowd and hopefully a large number of Hull FC fans. Our supporters are great at travelling to away matches so I am sure we will see a lot of them in the Etihad.”

Unreserved seating for the Magic Weekend is sold out, but reserved seating is still available for both days. Day tickets cost from just £45 adult and £22.50 concession. Tickets for the full weekend cost from just £60 adult and £30 concessions and are available by calling 0844 856 1113 or by visiting www.rugbyleaguetickets.co.uk.

The 2012 Magic Weekend schedule in full is:

Saturday May 26
1.00pm - Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 
4.00pm - Warrington Wolves v Widnes Vikings     
7.00pm - Hull FC v Hull KR              

Sunday May 27
12.00pm - Catalan Dragons v London Broncos 
2.00pm - Huddersfield Giants v Salford City Reds 
4.00pm - Bradford Bulls v Leeds Rhinos     
6.00pm - St Helens v Wigan Warriors