Event recap: More Than Matchday
Sports venues are increasingly becoming catalysts for regeneration, investment and social impact.
At UKREiiF 2026, 海角视频 hosted More Than Matchday, a panel discussion exploring how stadium developments can become powerful drivers of regeneration and placemaking. Bringing together perspectives from sport, local government, planning, development and regeneration, the conversation examined how clubs, cities and project partners can work together to unlock long-term value beyond the sporting event itself.
From community engagement and health outcomes to investment, skills and economic growth, the discussion highlighted the opportunities, and challenges, of creating places that deliver benefits 365 days a year.
More Than Matchday Panel Discussion at UKREiiF 2026
Key insights:
Sport as a community anchor
Sports clubs have long been woven into the fabric of their communities, providing much more than entertainment on matchday. Through grassroots programmes, health initiatives and skills development, they create opportunities for people to participate, connect and thrive.
Today, that role feels more important than ever. As communities continue to rebuild participation levels following the pandemic, sport remains a powerful tool for improving wellbeing, building confidence and creating pathways into education and employment. The scale of that impact is significant: Leeds Rhinos’ recent Rhinos Challenge event brought together 14,000 young people and parents through rugby league and netball tournaments, demonstrating the reach and influence clubs can have beyond the stadium gates.
Creating value beyond the stadium
The modern stadium is increasingly being reimagined as a year-round destination. Alongside sporting events, venues are becoming places for learning, employment, hospitality, healthcare and community activity, helping generate both economic and social value long after the final whistle.
This shift is also helping clubs strengthen their long-term sustainability. New stadium developments have been shown to deliver average attendance increases of around 40% in their first year, while creating opportunities for new revenue streams through complementary uses that support activity throughout the week and across the year.
Clubs are starting to realise the power they bring as places that people are deeply passionate about and the opportunities that creates beyond the matchday.
Tristan Pople, Associate Director, IPW
Designing for long-term regeneration
Successful sports-led regeneration begins with a clear understanding of place. Rather than designing around a stadium alone, the most effective projects respond to local needs and create environments that people want to use every day.
Accessible public spaces, strong connections to surrounding neighbourhoods and a mix of complementary uses help ensure developments become part of the community rather than destinations that only come to life on event days. The focus is not simply on delivering new infrastructure, but on creating a lasting legacy that supports local people for generations to come.
The foundation of a successful masterplan is one that sets the right legacy in place.
Elise Baudon, Managing Director, Prior + Partners
Unlocking growth through partnership
Delivering sports-led regeneration at scale requires collaboration. Clubs, local authorities, developers and investors all have a role to play in creating projects that are financially viable, socially valuable and closely connected to wider ambitions for growth.
Infrastructure remains a critical part of that equation. Improved transport connectivity, public realm and supporting development can unlock wider investment and help ensure venues become active destinations throughout the year. In Birmingham, for example, projections suggest the Sports Quarter could generate 拢700鈥�800 million in GVA annually, demonstrating the significant economic impact these developments can have when aligned with a broader regeneration strategy.
Looking ahead
The most successful sports developments are those that balance commercial ambition with community benefit. In practice, that means measuring success not only through financial returns, but through what the social value projects create for local people.
Leeds Rhinos Foundation, for example, reports generating 拢10.49 of social value for every 拢1 invested, illustrating the broader impact that sports organisations can have within their communities.
We need to be courageous. To do something you’ve never done before means stepping outside your comfort zone.
Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Chief Executive, Leeds Rhinos
As investment in sporting venues continues across the UK, creating places that deliver lasting value will require long-term thinking, strong partnerships and a willingness to challenge traditional approaches.
Our chair and panellists included:
Tom Newby, Partner, 海角视频
Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Chief Executive at Leeds Rhinos
Hari Sothinathan, Partner, Infrastructure & Real Estate at Deloitte
Angela Barnicle, Director for City Development at Leeds City Council
Tristan Pople, Associate Director at IPW
Elise Baudon, Managing Director at Prior + Partners
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