Wigan St Patricks
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Wigan St. Patricks Amateur Rugby League Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | St. Pats |
| Website | Official Club Website |
| Colours | Black and white |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) |
|
| CEO(s) |
 Jodie Whittle |
| Coach(s) | Dave Ruddy, Richard Owen |
| Captain(s) | Mel Alker |
| Competition | North West Counties, National Conference Premier Division |
Wigan St. Patricks is an amateur rugby league football club based in the Scholes area of Wigan, Greater Manchester. The first team plays in the National Conference League Premier Division.
In 1986, the club was one of ten founder members of the BARLA National Amateur League (now known as the National Conference League).[1] As of 2014, they have never been relegated from the league's top division.
The club is renowned for producing talented young players. More than 50 former St Pats players have gone on to play for the town's professional team, Wigan Warriors,[2] including internationals Joe Egan,[3] Liam Farrell, Sean O'Loughlin, Josh Charnley and Sam Tomkins.[4]
In 2014, St Pats reached the third round of the Challenge Cup, and were drawn against Leigh Centurions. Although St Pats were drawn at home, the club played the fixture at Leigh Sports Village, as their own ground did not meet the RFL's minimum requirements to host the fixture. St Pats were defeated 6–74.[5]
In January 2015, the club announced that they would not be taking part in the 2015 Challenge Cup, as "it was not in the players or clubs interest to enter the competition this year". Although cup matches against professional opposition usually generate a significant financial windfall for amateur teams, St Pats revealed they had made just £63 from their Challenge Cup game against Leigh in the previous year due to the costs of hosting the game at another venue.[6]
References
- ↑ Macklin, Keith (13 May 1986). "Early kick-off for amateur pioneers.". Times. London. p. 28.
- ↑ "Heritage Numbers" (PDF). wiganwarriors.com. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ↑ Wilson, Andy (26 November 2012). "Joe Egan obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ↑ "James Roby and James Graham go back to their Blackbrook roots". St Helens Star. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ↑ Parkinson, David. "Safe passage for Leigh Centurions". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- ↑ "Club made just £63 from Challenge Cup tie against pro opposition". Love Rugby League. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.