Past Players Association: Get in touch

[josie andrews]

In the Club’s 150th year Wigan Warriors will engage with past players better than ever before.

Working with the Past Players Association, we aim to reach out and keep in touch with as many former players who have represented Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club as possible.

The Association was previously run by Barbara Thompson who sadly passed away in August this year. For over 30 years, Barbara was also involved with The Riversiders Supporters Club and was most recently the treasurer.

As a Club, we are committed to continuing what Barbara left behind, and with the help from Club Historian Keith Sutch, we aim to collect contact details from every living relative and/or every player to have ever represented the Club.

Executive Director, Kris Radlinski, said: “2022 will see us engaged with our past players better than ever before. Barbara Thompson ran the Association for so long and we owe it to her legacy to carry it on. 1,113 players have represented our great Club with another five players at least to be given their Heritage Number this year. With many activities planned to celebrate the 150th year, we need to build our database of player contacts, so please get involved if you can help supply details. It is our intention to celebrate the official birthday in November 2022 with a firework display at Robin Park Arena and a parade of past players greater than we have ever assembled.”

Adding to the firework display, the Club have a number of other events and plans in place to celebrate the 150th year, including a Heritage Day on Friday 5th August as Wigan host Warrington at the DW Stadium. To commemorate such a historic occasion, the Warriors will mark the Warrington fixture as a day of celebration. On 18th January 1873, Wigan played their first ever game as a Rugby League Club – against Warrington and Round 22 next season will see the whole Club – including past players – come together to celebrate 150 years of history.

Most recently this week, the Club launched a past players gym club, where we invite and welcome all former players to use training facilities within our Matrix gym at Robin Park Arena on a regular basis. There are also discussions taking place for a past players event, Q&A nights and an evening dinner.

Leadership and Management Director, Shaun Wane, is a big advocate of the Past Players Association. He said: “To have played for my hometown club was my dream as a kid, to have achieved it was even better than I ever imagined.

“Making my debut was a day I will always remember for the rest of my life. That is why I am so proud to be known as a Wigan player, the period when we played, or the things we won or how many games we played is irrelevant because the only thing that really matters is that we played for this great Club.

“That is what bonds all the past players together, many have wanted to do it but we did it. We are the past players of this great club and we are proud.”

The Club are asking former players or the families of former players to get in touch so we can update our contact details data. Please get in touch with us today by filling out our short form below. As we look to expand the Association, we will keep in touch with all members on a regular basis with access to free match home tickets throughout the 2022 season and monthly newsletters. Get in touch today by completing the form below.


https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2021/12/ ... -in-touch/