Wigan in London

[No straw damn us]

It's nothing to do with the "away" team. Lenagan has looked at the costs v benefits and has decided it's worth the risk. The game hasn't been charged to the Wigan fans as we have only paid for 14 home games. As I said when this was talked about a couple of months ago the ideal game would be Catalan but as yet we don't know how the fixtures will fall. It certainly won't be Saints, Leeds or Wire as the potential loss in revenue for those games would be too much of a risk to take.

[sc74]

A completely ludicrous idea.

IL says:

"My personal passion for Wigan and rugby league in London makes this initiative an obvious one"

Not it doesn't. It is self indulgent on his part. He likes it to we have to put up with it?

"The expansion into London is a core element of Wigan's growth strategy to engage with both the sporting public and the business community and will see a wide array of activities over the coming months and years, including at least one Wigan home game per year and rugby league camps run by Wigan staff."

Why doesn't he just take the Wigan "franchise" to London and be done with it?

Who in their right minds thinks you can achieve anything by courting businesses two hundred miles away?

It's worse than Workington playing a "home" game in Wrexham or somewhere.

It is not the best thought out plan.
Whats the best that can be achieved:

Shirt sales - maybe a few here and there.
New ticke buying fans - doubt it. This is not MUFC with all those games to see down south.


In a nutshell, I can hardly see families packing up the car for a Thursday/Friday night out to Wigan.

[DaveO]

From the link Josie provided:

The Wigan club and its Owner, Ian Lenagan, have long viewed the capital as a key expansion area both for Wigan and for Rugby League generally. Wigan Warriors has a national fan base and historical links with London ranging from their record number of Wembley appearances, through Lenagan's prior ownership of London Broncos and current London-born players Dan Sarginson and Tony Clubb to Wigan's many other connections in London via ex-Wigan players in Rugby Union including Andrew Farrell, Shaun Edwards, Martin Offiah, Chris Ashton, Owen Farrell and Joel Tomkins. Joel Tomkins returned to the Wigan Club last year following his time at Saracens Rugby Union.

It's absolute nonsense.

Lenagan's prior ownership of London does not does not give Wigan a historical link with London.

Neither does the fact Sarginson who is in fact Australian and Clubb who is from Kent. Even if they were born within the sound of Bow Bells the fact they now play for us links us no more to London than signing Bateman does to Bradford.

And neither does the fact Chris Ashton or any other ex-players or coaches live or work down there and the fact Tomkins left Sarries or even went there in the first place doesn't either.

Owen Farrell? WTF?

Who makes this BS up?

Why not put me on the press release? I lived there for 12 years. May as well given the tenuous and factually incorrect nonsense in that press release.

[No straw damn us]

Wigan v Catalan attracted 12,126 spectators at the DW. Wigan have around 10K season ticket holders. In reality if they can get 6 to 10K playing in London they won't be far off breaking even at least.

[cpwigan]

Sometimes you have got to be bold. I personally can see more advantages than disadvantages.

[Welski]

Rugby league is going nowhere in this country. Any small risk associated with trying to expand its reach is worth it IMO. Also it'll save me a long drive????

[sc74]

Wigan v Catalan attracted 12,126 spectators at the DW. Wigan have around 10K season ticket holders. In reality if they can get 6 to 10K playing in London they won't be far off breaking even at least.

6-10k is hardly going to help sell the club/sport.
Imagine how embarassing it will be if 2k turn up!
As football has finished, could it be a Saturday afternoon game?

Personally hope it works, but it could be a bridge too far.
Would they not be better off whetting the appetite with Magic first?

[Nezza Faz]

Wasps ru moved this season from London to Coventry, about 100 miles.

A successful transition resulted in them raising debentures in the City which brought in £ quite a few million.

I'd guess it's mainly for this purpose they'd explore this venture. It's certainly not about shirt sales, or higher admission prices down there, much more financially involved than all that, imo.

And if greater revenues are obtained, then it gives us the financial muscle to go out and use the "marquee" player allowance to even greater benefit.

And on that basis , perhaps the risks are not that great, when you look at the big picture.

[sc74]

Good luck wih it, hope it works.

[DaveO]

It's nothing to do with the "away" team. Lenagan has looked at the costs v benefits and has decided it's worth the risk. The game hasn't been charged to the Wigan fans as we have only paid for 14 home games. As I said when this was talked about a couple of months ago the ideal game would be Catalan but as yet we don't know how the fixtures will fall. It certainly won't be Saints, Leeds or Wire as the potential loss in revenue for those games would be too much of a risk to take.

It's got a heck of a lot to do with the away team.

This is being sold as a means for Wigan to earn money, get a presence in London etc.

Another team would aid Wigan in this venture because?

As you say it would probably have to be Les Cats but I don't see why even they would want to enable Wigan to earn more money or establish a London presence for Wigan.