Be it a pint of Holt's at the Douglas Bank in Wigan, a half or two of Moorhouse's Black Cat in Leeds's best pub, The Grove, or a refreshing glass of Deuchar's at the Fox and Coney in South Cave, rugby and real ale invariably make for a winning recipe for happiness.

That will be the case this weekend but the beer will be Brain's or Butty Bach and the setting will be Cardiff, which plays host to the Super League bender that is Millennium Magic.

Six matches, five of them potential crackers (one of which, amazingly enough, is Catalans v Harlequins), over two days in a compact, friendly city represent a genuine highlight in the sport's calendar.

Millennium Magic was a qualified hit in its inaugural season and this weekend promises to be even better with more fans than last year heading down to South Wales to rekindle rugby league's love affair with one of the world's finest stadiums.

But for its exorbitant hotel prices, Cardiff proved to be
the perfect venue for the Challenge Cup final during
the famous old trophy's
itinerant years and there are many people who rue the return to Wembley.

The new national stadium is a spectacular construction but its location remains as remote as the old Wembley, unlike the Welsh equivalent which stands on the doorstep of all the major attractions offered by a capital city.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed the spectacle of Wembley on Challenge Cup final day will have an idea of the party atmosphere created when rugby league fans enjoy a grand day out: the noise, the riot of colour and the good-natured banter among fans of dozens of clubs is both unique and memorable.

Millennium Magic has the potential to become just like that, only double the fun, with the added benefit of better (and cheaper) beer and without the pain of the long queues for tube trains.

Even now, 79 years after the Challenge Cup final was first played in London, Wembley is still not everybody's cup of tea and there is a small hard core of rugby league supporters who will not entertain the trip to Cardiff for all kinds of excuses, sorry reasons.

South Wales is too far, they claim; the hotel prices are a rip-off; tickets for the match are too expensive; the Millennium Stadium is too big and the matches are one derby too many.

Well, for one thing, the trip from Huddersfield (smack bang in the middle of the M62 corridor) to Cardiff is 215 miles, less than the return distance between Hull and Warrington.

For another, just a month ago family rooms (two adults,
two children) in a hotel 20 minutes' drive from Cardiff city centre were available for £55 per night.

And for another, weekend tickets for all six matches can still be bought for £30 (even less for concessions).

As for the stadium, yes there may be a lot of empty seats but only for now because, like a seven-year-old with a new coat, Millennium Magic is going to grow into it.

And how could anyone who has been to a Hull derby claim that you can have too much of a good thing?

Of course none of those reasons will wash with that dour, unhealthily insular element of the rugby league family which earnestly believes that rugby league should remain a northern sport played by northern people in northern grounds. And only when it's raining. With proper scrums. In black and white.

My heart goes out to all the genuine league fans who want to go to Cardiff this weekend but can't make it.

Although they get to drink cask-conditioned Tetley's while watching the drama unfold on Sky down at the local, it's still a no-Brain'ser.