Ten years on from Wigan Warriors debut: Luke Waterworth relishing Challenge Cup reunion
Luke Waterworth admits it will be a ‘surreal’ feeling when he runs out for Rochdale Hornets against his hometown club Wigan Warriors on Sunday, more than a decade on from making his first-team debut for the club he grew up dreaming of playing for.
The 29-year-old hooker came through Wigan’s famed youth system before debuting in 2016, a moment that still holds huge significance for him and his family.
“Making my Wigan debut was surreal to be honest,” Waterworth told Wigan Today. “Being a Wigan lad, playing for the likes of Orrell St James and Ince Rose Bridge, it was all I ever wanted growing up. It was the lead-up through working with John Winder and Shane Eccles through the scholarship, then working with Matty Peet in the academy and then Shaun Wane in the first-team. It was a great journey, and it was the stuff of dreams, and my family were so proud, especially with us coming from the town.”
While his playing journey has taken him away from the Warriors, Waterworth believes his time at the club shaped him far beyond rugby league.
“Even now, all the training has set me up for life,” he explained. “The resilience and the type of training… My whole time at Wigan was a great experience. I’m 29 now, and it’s something that has kept with me all my life. The resilience, the expectation and the high standards are something I try to keep in my day-to-day work now.”
Working in a school alongside his rugby career, Waterworth still draws on the culture he was immersed in at Wigan.
“It’s no coincidence that they are there or thereabouts every year,” he said. “They produce talent year on year through the Wigan ranks. Even now in my job, I try to continue those high standards and resilience and that culture. It engrains you as a person, so I’m thankful for my time at Wigan for that.”
The academy team he was part of was stacked with talent, including the likes of Joe Burgess, Oliver Gildart, Liam Marshall, Jake Shorrocks and Tom Davies, and the bonds formed back then remain strong.
“When you bump into them, it’s like you never left,” Waterworth said. “You’ve spent that much time with them, grown up with them and had a lot of success. You can just get on with each other straight away, and I think that’s probably a testament to the culture they’ve created at Wigan.”
After leaving Wigan, Waterworth spent seven seasons at Swinton Lions before injuries and eye problems led him to step away from the game. But the desire to play never fully disappeared.
“I lost a bit of love for the game,” he admitted. “But then there was a burning feeling to go back to playing. I don’t want to be 40-odd years old and wondering if I could have played a bit longer, so I thought I’d lace my boots back up this year, and I’m loving it.”
After playing some amateur rugby with his local club Westhoughton Lions, Waterworth’s path has led him to Championship club Rochdale, where he has quickly settled in.
“I’m getting older now, I’m definitely feeling the bumps and knocks a lot more on a Monday morning,” he joked. “But I’m glad I’ve found Rochdale… They are a really good group and look after each other, so I’m loving it. It does help because we’ve had a good start to the year!”
Sunday’s Challenge Cup tie promises to be extra special, with Waterworth’s Wigan-supporting family set to pack the stands at the Crown Oil Arena.
“There might be a mini bus this week! Half of Hindley might be empty this Sunday,” he laughed. “They usually want Wigan to win, but they want me to do well as well.”
For Waterworth, it is a full-circle moment – one he is embracing with pride, gratitude and excitement.