| Fullname: | Wheldon Road |
| Location: | Wheldon Road, Castleford, West Yorkshire, England |
| Coordinates: | 53.7297°N -1.3408°W |
| Built: | 1926 |
| Opened: | 1926 |
| Owner: | Castleford Tigers |
| Operator: | Castleford Tigers |
| Surface: | Grass |
| Scoreboard: | Philips Vidiwall |
| Tenants: | Castleford Town F.C. (1926–1936) Castleford Tigers (1927 – Present) |
| Seating Capacity: | 10,500 |
| Record Attendance: | 25,449 (Castleford vs Hunslet, 9 March 1935) |
| Dimensions: | 120x |
Wheldon Road (known as the Mend-A-Hose Jungle for sponsorship purposes) is the home ground of Castleford Tigers Rugby league Club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England. It is on Wheldon Road, just outside Castleford town centre. The record attendance of 25,449 was for a Challenge Cup match in 1935.
Wheldon Road officially opened in 1926 and was the home of association football club Castleford Town F.C. The following year Castleford RLFC moved in after the completion of their first season (1926–27) after playing at 'Sandy Desert', which has since been redeveloped, and is the home of Castleford Lock Lane.[1]
On 9 March 1935, the ground set its record attendance of 25,449 for a third-round Challenge Cup match against Hunslet.
Floodlights were installed for the 1965–66 season.
On 7 March 2004, Wheldon Road recorded its highest attendance of the Super League era with 11,731 against the Leeds Rhinos.[2]
In 2011 Castleford Tigers signed a deal with developers who intended to redevelop the ground as a supermarket. This deal would fund a new £12 million stadium at nearby Glasshoughton for which the club had received planning consent. In October 2012 the plans were scrapped due to lack of funding. In 2014 it was announced that the club would be moving to a new stadium near Glasshoughton along with a new retail park on the same site.[3]
From the 2023 season, the stadium's maximum capacity was slightly reduced to 10,500 after taking on board fan feedback.[4] [5]
The Wheldon Road End is a covered standing terrace and is considered the Kop end of the ground as it is particularly used by Castleford supporters.
The Main Stand in the east end of the ground houses 1,500 seats and the changing rooms and tunnel. About two thirds of the stand is uncovered terracing each side of the Main Stand. The clubs pavilion is situated at this side of the ground. Most of the bars and food outlets are at this side of the ground inside the marquee
The Railway End is at the south of the ground. It is an uncovered standing terrace, with a supporters' club, executive boxes and a scoreboard along its top. It is mainly used by away supporters.
The Princess Street Stand is at the west of the ground. It is almost identical to the Wheldon Road End. It is completely covered and houses the TV and commentary gantry.
The stadium was renamed the Jungle from 2000 to 2010, initially due to sponsorship from online retailer Jungle.com. In 2010 PROBIZ became the stadium's sponsors after signing a three-year deal. Wish Communications became sponsors for the 2013 season before Mend-a-Hose became sponsors in 2014.[6]
| Year | Sponsor | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 | Jungle.com | The Jungle | |
| 2010–2012 | PROBIZ | PROBIZ Colliseum | |
| 2013 | Wish Communications | Wish Communications Stadium | |
| 2014– | Mend-a-Hose | Mend-a-Hose Jungle |
List of International rugby league matches played at Wheldon Road is:[7]
| Date | Winners | Score | Runners up | Competition | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 October 1970 | 6–0 | 8,958 | ||||
| 16 October 1971 | 17–14 | 4,108 | ||||
| 20 October 1995 | 21–10 | 1995 Emerging Nations Tournament | 2,889 | |||
| 12 November 2000 | 54–6 | 2000 World Cup | 5,158 |
Other than Castleford club games, Wheldon Road also saw Cas play host to various international touring teams from 1929–1994.
| Date | Winners | Score | Runners up | Competition | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 October 1929 | 53–2 | 1929–30 Kangaroo Tour | 4,000 | |||
| 27 September 1933 | 39–6 | 1933–34 Kangaroo Tour | 4,259 | |||
| 6 October 1948 | 10–8 | 1948–49 Kangaroo Tour | 14,004 | |||
| 13 November 1963 | 13–12 | 1963–64 Kangaroo Tour | 7,887 | |||
| 9 November 1967 | 22–3 | 1967–68 Kangaroo Tour | 6,137 | |||
| 10 October 1973 | 18–0 | 1973 Kangaroo Tour | 2,419 | |||
| 3 October 1989 | 22–20 | 1989 New Zealand Tour | ||||
| 4 November 1990 | 28–8 | 1990 Kangaroo Tour | 9,033 | |||
| 12 October 1994 | 38–12 | 1994 Kangaroo Tour | 11,073 |