RICHARD Thewlis admits Huddersfield Giants still do not have a home venue sorted for next season, but insists an announcement is imminent.
The Giants are set to leave the Accu Stadium, which they have shared with Huddersfield Town for the past 32 years, at the end of the 2026 Super League season.
The club’s long-term aim is to build a venue of their own in Huddersfield, but chief executive Thewlis conceded there is not yet a definitive short-term plan for where they will play their home games.
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“The reality is, despite what everybody says and are reading, sat here today, we don’t know – that’s a fact,” Thewlis told Sky Sports ahead of Friday’s 24-10 defeat at home to Wigan Warriors.
“We do know we’ve a huge number of options and we’re working through them. We genuinely are pretty close…today is not the day, but the day is rapidly approaching.
“We’ve an awful lot of options, it’s a case of taking the right one, presenting it to the audience in the right manner, and we’re working through that.
“I’m incredibly optimistic and confident there is a very, very bright future at this club.”
Huddersfield have been sharing with the town’s football club since leaving their original Fartown home in 1992, first for Leeds Road and then to their current 24,121-capacity venue.
However, the Giants have averaged just over 4,000 for home games in recent seasons and sold their 20 percent stake in the stadium to the Terriers’ ownership last year.
Departing chairman Ken Davy’s initial plan was to buy The Shay Stadium in Halifax from Calderdale Council and relocate Huddersfield there while seeking a permanent rugby-specific venue in their home town.
Those plans were abandoned at the start of June, although becoming tenants at The Shay – also home to Championship club Halifax Panthers and football club Halifax Town – remains a possibility.
Huddersfield have also played matches at Dewsbury Rams’ FLAIR Stadium when the Accu Stadium has been unavailable.
Despite Davy announcing his decision to step down as chairman earlier this week, he will remain as club owner and Thewlis insisted his ambitions for a new stadium in Huddersfield have not changed despite being thwarted so far.
“His dream and goal is to build an 8,000-ish seater stadium in the town of Huddersfield,” Thewlis said.
“Whether we can make that possible, here today I can’t give you a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but that is Ken Davy’s ultimate goal.
He added: “Let’s chat again in a month’s time, and see what you think then.”
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