Wigan Warriors star Jai Field keen to connect with Irish roots ahead of Super League’s Dublin showpiece
Wigan Today caught up with Jai Field after it was announced that Wigan Warriors will head to Ireland in 2027
Jai Field is looking forward to connecting with his Irish roots when Wigan Warriors make history by taking Super League to Dublin next year.
Wigan and Warrington Wolves will meet at the newly redeveloped Laya Arena on Saturday, April 24, 2027, in the first-ever Super League fixture to be played in Ireland.
The Warriors’ Australian fullback is of Irish descent through his mother’s side, although his Irish heritage is not close enough for him to qualify to represent Ireland on the international rugby league stage.
Field has never visited the country despite his family having made several trips there, but next year’s fixture will finally give him the opportunity to experience it for himself.
“For sure, yeah, it’s definitely exciting,” Field told Wigan Today when asked about the opportunity to connect with his Irish background.
The 28-year-old was born in Forbes, Australia, and revealed his Irish roots can be traced back to his mother’s family.
“Yeah, but not enough to be eligible to play (for Ireland), but I do (have Irish heritage), yeah,” he said.
“It’s on my mum’s side, they’re Molloy’s. It’s my mum’s grandfather. It’s pretty crazy, I did some stuff on ancestry last year, and I’m a bit of a funny mix, I’m Aboriginal and Irish.”
Field has previously missed opportunities to visit Dublin with his Wigan team-mates, having returned to Australia at the end of the season on both occasions.
“They’ve tried to get me there,” Field laughed. “I’ve missed out on two trips because I’ve gone back to Australia at the end of the year, so I’ve not made it there yet.
“I’ve had so many mates, even from Australia, that have travelled through Europe, and Ireland is always a stop for them, but I haven’t been there yet unfortunately, so it’ll be good to go over there.”
Field reckons his family could make the trip to Dublin, having already travelled to Ireland twice to explore their heritage.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” he smiled. “They’ve come over, and they’ve been to Ireland twice, and they’ve done a bit of the heritage stuff.
“They went around there a couple of years ago and did about a month there and went back another time doing some stuff, so they love it, and I’ve still not been!
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if they come to Dublin... They came to Vegas and came over to Paris, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Field is also excited by the wider opportunity to help grow rugby league in Ireland, with the fixture following Wigan and Warrington’s historic meeting in Las Vegas in 2025.
“I think we’re very lucky and grateful that we’re at this club that are trying to expand the game and get more eyes on the sport, so to be able to play in another city is definitely something to look forward to,” he said.
Wigan and Warrington previously met in Dublin at Shelbourne Park in 1934, while the Cherry and Whites returned to the Republic of Ireland capital in 1995 to face Leeds in a Charity Shield fixture.
Field believes the latest visit can help rugby league create a ripple effect on the Emerald Isle.
“I think that’s why they’re trying to do it, I guess,” he added.
“Everyone has spoken about Vegas and how good that was - they spoke about that for so long, and this is a lot closer now, it is closer to the sport and closer for people to travel, so ideally, you would want as many people going as possible and that it does break through a little bit.”