Wigan’s record number of teams

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josie andrews
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Wigan’s record number of teams

Post by josie andrews »

Wigan Warriors are delighted to confirm that there will be a record number of teams representing the Cherry and Whites in the Club’s 150th year, including a new Touch Rugby team.

In what will be a historic year in 2022, there will be 11 different Wigan Warriors teams.

First Team Head Coach, Matt Peet, prepares for his opening season in charge of the Warriors, along with the new Coaching Team consisting of Lee Briers, Sean O’Loughlin, with Shaun Wane as Leadership and Management Director.

Next year will see the return of Reserves, alongside an Academy competition. The plan is for the two competitions to be played on alternate weeks through the season, making a likely maximum of 16 rounds in each, with Play-Off series to determine the champions in each grade, creating high-pressure matches which will aid players’ development. Click HERE to read more about the return of Reserves in 2022. Fixtures for Wigan’s Academy and Reserves in 2022 will be released next week.

Adding to Wigan’s Academy is the Scholarship squad with 18 new Under-15s signings for next year. Overall, there are 37 players in the Scholarship system and 25 in the Academy. Read more about Wigan’s youth squads by clicking HERE.

Since 2018 the Warriors have added a Women’s, Physical Disability and Learning Disability Rugby League teams, as well as most recently launching Wheelchair and Touch Rugby teams.

The Women’s team won the Women’s Super League in their first year and will enter their fourth full season in 2022 as well as having a Women’s Academy to help develop younger players. Our PDRL and LDRL teams are quickly growing too, and we are proud to have hosted a number of festivals for our disability Rugby League teams, including one on the DW Stadium pitch prior to a first team game back in September. Read more HERE.

In 2021 – in an addition to the Club’s disability teams – the Warriors announced a Wheelchair team, offering more competition in the Betfred Wheelchair Super League. The league has been extended from six to eight teams for the upcoming season, with Wigan being successful in a Community Foundation bid for funding from the Rugby League World Cup Legacy fund. The Warriors have used the funds to provide additional Wheelchairs for the team, with training taking place every Wednesday. Click HERE to read more. This Thursday at the Club’s ‘Thursday night under the lights’ event at Robin Park Arena, the Wheelchair team will be in attendance with a demonstration to be showcased on how to play on the court. Find out more about Thursday’s event HERE.

The Club are also pleased to announce the latest addition of a Touch Rugby team. Playing fixtures at festivals across the country, ‘Wigan Touch Warriors’ are currently one of the top ranked Touch Rugby teams in the country and are national champions. For the past three months, the team have been supporting the Community Foundation’s Touch Rugby programme and following successful sessions, the Foundation have formed a partnership with the team. More details on our new Touch Rugby team will follow in due course.

The final team to represent Wigan in 2022 will be the Warriors College Development Squad. Alongside the fantastic sports-based courses on offer, Wigan Warriors Education Academy allows students to put their boots on, take to the field to develop their Rugby League skills and represent the Club. Boys and girls aged 16-18 have the chance to participate in a Category 3 high-performance training programme alongside weekly games in the North West and Yorkshire Colleges League run by the RFL. Click HERE to find out more about our Education Academy and the courses on offer.

In 2022, Wigan Warriors will take to the field and court with the following teams:

First Team
Reserves
Academy
Scholarship
Women
Women’s Academy
PDRL
LDRL
Wheelchair
Touch Rugby
College
Speaking on the expansion to 11 teams, Executive Director, Kris Radlinski said: “We are delighted to be actively increasing the opportunities that are available for members of the community and aspiring professional players to be involved in Rugby League. As a sport and as a Club we are very focused on being inclusive in all that we deliver. Across the 11 teams we now provide outstanding pathways that allows both participation and development opportunities for the individuals involved. It’s an exciting time for the development of Rugby League and building further capacity in this area is very much at the forefront of our plans for 2022 and beyond.

“Even though 2021 was difficult, one of the highlights for me was seeing the LDRL team playing at the DW Stadium. It was something that the players will not forget, and neither will I. In addition to the playing opportunities, people can get involved in different ways to support the teams. This may be from a sponsorship or a volunteering point of view but definitely from a supporting point of view.”

Player sponsorships are available for Wigan Warriors’ Academy, Women, PDRL, LDRL, Wheelchair and Touch Rugby teams in 2022. For more information and to sponsor a player next year, please email Sam Cross – s.cross@wiganwarriors.com.

Other sponsorships for companies looking to be involved in 2022, please email Geoff Warburton – g.warburton@wiganwarriors.com.

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2021/12/ ... -of-teams/
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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