Leeds Rhinos fans face matchday change as Headingley Stadium gears up for new cancer centre
A facility used by fans on matchdays at Leeds Rhinos’ AMT Headingley Stadium has closed.
The East Stand cafe bar shut its doors this week as part of a proposed major redevelopment to establish a state of the art private health centre at the stadium. The Icon Cancer Centre, announced in March, is set to take over vacant spaces on the ground, first and second floors of the stand which were formerly used as classrooms by Leeds Beckett University.
The cafe, which opened 20 years ago and served the public through the week as well as supporters when Rhinos or Yorkshire County Cricket Club were playing, has also been taken over by Icon. It was used for the final time when Rhinos beat Hull KR 34-8 last Friday.
Rhinos chief executive Jamie Jones-Buchanan said the club are hoping to provide another “communal space” at the stadium, but nothing has yet been confirmed. Plans for the cancer centre are currently being considered by Leeds City Council. Once up and running it will offer services including radiotherapy, oncology imaging and advanced CT scanning.
At the time the centre was announced, four months ago, Rhinos owner Paul Caddick said: “AMT Headingley has always been about more than sport. Through the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and our wider work we already support physical and mental health, inclusion and community resilience across Leeds. Creating a space for health initiatives that includes cancer care is a natural extension of that commitment and reflects what this site means to the community.”