Wigan Warriors star Brad O’Neill on passionate side hustle away from rugby – ‘It’s going well, I like it’
Wigan Warriors star Brad O’Neill might be one of the premier hookers in Super League – but he also has a strong business head when it comes to life away from the field, too.
The 23-year-old is living his boyhood dream, playing for the club he grew up supporting in the Warriors, representing England on the international stage, and winning every trophy there is to win in the domestic game.
O’Neill is busy off the pitch, too, as a proud dad to Arabella and partner to Alice. He also has a side hustle going on, which he is passionate about: vending machines!
"I was just thinking when I had some time off about what I could do that is not really too much work alongside playing rugby,” O’Neill told Wigan Today. “My mate and I came up with this idea. We just needed the first venue, and we ended up managing to grab a few vending machines. We just went for it, and we just want to keep building on the ones we’ve got, and hopefully we can just keep gradually building on it.
“Coming away from rugby and thinking about business, I feel like it takes your mind off rugby. It’s just something else, you are learning new ways in dealing with new people and the day-to-day problems that come with it as well, so it’s good, I like it.
“They’re local, I think we’ve got around 10 now, so we’ve gone some in the factories just over the road here from Robin Park, and we’ve got them at a few car showrooms. It’s going well, I like it. I’m trying, just doing a bit, keeping it topped up, and just trying to build that up on the side and see where it goes.”
O’Neill has started the season in fine form, starting at hooker all six games for the Warriors, having managed to get a full pre-season under his belt.
"I feel like having a full pre-season is massive,” O’Neill said. “I didn’t manage to get one last year, I came back from my ACL in pretty quick time as well, so it was definitely important that I got a full pre-season in this year. I’m definitely feeling the benefits from that, so hopefully I can carry that hard work into this season and start seeing the benefits of it as well.
"I’m pretty similar size as I’ve been in previous years, but I think I might be a bit stronger in the gym and quicker outside. I’ve been beating my times at the Bronco, but I feel like everybody is the same, putting on some good size, strong in the gym, fit outside – everybody has been working hard, as you can see on the field. Everyone is looking pretty good.”
O’Neill will make his 100th appearance for Wigan on Thursday night when Matt Peet’s side hosts the newly-promoted York Knights in Round Five of Super League at the Brick Community Stadium, with the Leigh-born hooker having made his senior Wigan debut back in 2021.