Wigan Dodgeball Warriors return from Cairo after their World Cup campaign

A young Wigan team that covered itself in glory at the Dodgeball World Cup in Egypt has thanked all those who made the adventure possible.
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After the under-15s Wigan Dodgeball Warriors came fourth in the competition in Cairo, coach Matthew Melling expressed his gratitude to the people of Wigan who helped raise funds last year.

Following an error that left them short of cash for costs such as flights, the team appealed for donations from the public to help make the trip possible.

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Matthew said: “It was a fantastic experience for the team, everyone had a really good time; it was phenomenal. Cairo is a very different place from Wigan. It took a bit of adjusting to when we got there."

Matthew says that he will forever be indebted to the people of Wigan who made the trip possible for his team.Matthew says that he will forever be indebted to the people of Wigan who made the trip possible for his team.
Matthew says that he will forever be indebted to the people of Wigan who made the trip possible for his team.

Coming fourth overall meant the team had given its best ever performance in an international competition and they were proud to have the opportunity to not only represent Wigan but their country too.

This is the third occasion that Wigan had been given the chance to participate in the colours of England, having entered the both the Manchester event in 2016 and New York in 2018.

Matthew, well known as The Wigan Runner, said that he will forever be indebted to the people of Wigan who made the journey to Cairo possible.

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The team came fourth overall in what was their third time representing EnglandThe team came fourth overall in what was their third time representing England
The team came fourth overall in what was their third time representing England
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He added: “This was four years in the making. I started fund-raising through my page as part of my running journey back in 2018.

"I remember on day 1,000 of my run streak we raised over £1,000 and we did lots of other things. A huge thank you to everyone in Wigan, but also the parents of former players who have since decided to stop playing dodgeball.

"They did a lot of fund-raising for this event and some have stopped playing in recent years following the pandemic. The club wouldn’t have been able to go had it not been for their work.”

Training sessions for the Wigan Dodgeball Warriors are held on Fridays at Deanery High School with an influx of people looking to join.

Matthew said there has been a surge in interest for joining the team since returning home.Matthew said there has been a surge in interest for joining the team since returning home.
Matthew said there has been a surge in interest for joining the team since returning home.
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Matthew also teaches the sport in a range of schools across the borough and can be contacted by any schools who are interested in his sessions.

The team will now prepare for the upcoming British Dodgeball Leagues set to commence later on this year, with morale and excitement at an all time high following the World Cup.

Anyone interested in joining can contact Matthew on The Wigan Runner or Wigan Dodgeball Warriors on Facebook.

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