The Greatest Opening Night

[josie andrews]

* Season Opener to be the “Greatest Opening Night” with the newly commissioned Community Trophy up for grabs.

* Wigan Warriors, With Athletic and Leigh Leopards aim to raise £1m of products for its sponsored charities over the course of the week.

* All Club’s will be focused on honouring and celebrating the incredible communities in and around the borough of Wigan.

WIGAN WARRIORS AND LEIGH LEOPARDS ARE JOINING FORCES WITH FOOTBALL CLUB WIGAN ATHLETIC TO HELP HONOUR AND CELEBRATE THE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITIES IN AND AROUND THE BOROUGH OF WIGAN.

To help kick off Betfred Super League Round 1 with “The Greatest Opening Night” as well as Latics exciting Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round home tie with Premier League side Fulham, all three Club’s aim to celebrate all things community.

Wigan Warriors are set to make their Round 1 opening game in the Betfred Super League a spectacular community celebration, showcasing the very best of rugby league and the communities it represents. The much-anticipated clash will see the Grand Slam-winning, World Champion Wigan Warriors take on the 2023 Challenge Cup winners, Leigh Leopards in what promises to be an unforgettable night. They will be playing for a specially commissioned Community Trophy which will be up for grabs for future Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards games.

Wigan Athletic play host to Premier League side Fulham at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday 8th February at 3pm, in an Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round tie with Shaun Maloney’s men looking to upset the odds and provide some more FA Cup magic.

All Club’s will be focused on honouring and celebrating the incredible communities in and around the borough of Wigan. We are acutely aware of the challenges posed by inequality throughout the area, and we are committed to tackling these issues head-on.

The three clubs and its sponsors will aim to raise over £1m of products (food, supplies etc) for its sponsored Charities by activities in the weeks before the game and the week afterwards.

Working closely with our colleagues and in association with Wigan Council, The Brick, and Multi-bank, we are determined to make both games an unforgettable experience that not only highlights the strength of rugby league and football in the town, but also serves as a platform to raise awareness and support for the local community.

Wigan Warriors Chairman Professor Chris Brookes said: “Rugby League is ingrained in the fabric of our Borough. Our Clubs are places where all are welcome and of which both Towns are proud with Leigh Leopards and Wigan Rugby League being beacons of hope in these difficult times.

“Without doubt the sport has a unique ability to shift the dial on inequality and exclusion and I am delighted there are a host of Community focused events leading up to this mouth-watering game. These, along with our partnership with the Brick and the Multibank project- are powerful and important vehicles for both messaging the promotion of wellbeing and making a meaningful difference to the lives of those who are struggling and disadvantaged in our Town “

Leigh Leopards owner, Derek Beaumont said: “This is a fantastic initiative from our friendly neighbours Wigan Warriors and another fantastic way for us to collectively demonstrate that despite our fierce rivalry on the pitch that we share the same core values and vision to implement them in our borough. Rugby League is much more than sport; it’s a fantastic platform to demonstrate inclusivity and to enable everyone to have the opportunity to be the best version of themselves.

“Sport gives people hope and excitement and can often provide a brief break from the worries and stress of everyday life but focussing in detail on the difficulties in our borough enables us to reach beyond that short respite. I would urge everyone to engage in the activities and to get down to the brick community stadium where the on field action is sure to be explosive as the deserved reigning champions at all levels look to keep their unbeaten record against our new look side that is keen to complete the only task we have been unable to achieve since rebranding as the Leopards, to beat our neighbours at either ground.

He added: “I am sure the atmosphere will be great as the action unfolds but one thing, we can all be sure of by our actions is that the guaranteed winners will be those who we aim to support continuing their amazing work in our borough”.

CEO of The Brick, Keely Dalfen explained: ‘’While we cannot resolve poverty and homelessness on our own, sport can play a vital role in building community, belonging, and purpose for individuals experiencing social exclusion – and, crucially, in prevention. We are extremely grateful to the support of Wigan Warriors in raising vital funds which we will be able to leverage to significantly increase the value of essential products available to our multibank by an additional £1million. By collaborating with Wigan Warriors, Leigh Leopards and Wigan Athletic on this fantastic weeklong programme of events, we can challenge conventional approaches and bring fresh ideas to the table, igniting a borough wide passion for leveraging sport as a tool for social change’’.

The Council Leader, David Molyneux also said: “Wigan Borough is truly a borough of sport. From our incredible grassroots community clubs, who provide inclusive opportunities for all our residents, to our elite clubs and athletes who represent our borough, towns, and communities with such distinction on the world stage.

“At the recent BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, Wigan Borough, the Borough of Sport, landed the team of the year (Wigan Warriors), Coach of the Year (Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter) and overall Sports Personality of the Year (Keely Hodgkinson). It’s all down to the skill and dedication of these incredible athletes, but also the army of volunteers and coaches in the borough, the quality of our schools and the emphasis placed on nurturing talent be that academic, sporting, or musical talents – and that magic ingredient of belief and pride that runs through all our communities here.

“Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards epitomise that spirit of sport and community and showcase the best of our borough as an inclusive, tolerant, and proud place. The clubs battle it out as fierce rivals on the field, but off the field they work together and with the council and amazing community organisations and charities as we are seeing here with The Brick to give back to our communities. Together we have developed Progress with Unity, our 10-year partnership plan to tackle social, health and financial inequalities in our borough and to ensure all of our towns and communities thrive. With the clubs achieving so much in the game and for our communities we know that sport can literally change lives.”

Wigan Athletic Chairman, Ben Goodburn added: “With a fourth round Emirates FA Cup home tie against Fulham now confirmed at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday 8th February, we are delighted to join the Warriors, Leopards and Wigan Council in kicking off a week’s long celebration of community initiatives in the borough with the ambition of raising over £1m for local charities. This collaboration between the three clubs and stakeholders in the borough represents the unique position of our sporting clubs in delivering real social change in our communities. We look forward to welcoming all our fans and everyone in the community to watch Latics take on premier league opposition for the second time in 13 months.”

Both fixtures will be more than just a match—it’s set to be a community event filled with activities that highlight the values of rugby league and bring people together. Among the exciting features leading up to the games are:

Week-Long Activities Leading Up to the Game

* Wigan Council’s Progress with Unity – 50 Years Seminar, with contributions from both Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic, alongside Leigh Leopards

* Community activity at Robin Park Arena in association with Wigan Warriors, Leigh Leopards, and Wigan Athletic abilities.

* There will be a live music performance to energise the crowd at the Wigan Warriors vs Leigh fixture. The night will also feature stars who have proudly represented our borough, a spectacular fireworks display and laser show to light up the night.

* Cash donation initiatives aiming to raise £1m for local charities, including The Brick.

Both fixtures will bring the entire community together for two nights of excitement and unity. We want to make both night’s truly memorable, and we encourage everyone to get behind this cause and support the borough. Tickets for Wigan Warriors v Leigh Leopards are now on general sale HERE.

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/wiganwarriors/Events

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2025/01/ ... ing-night/