Work underway at Edge Hall Road for women’s football and rugby league facility with latest update

Both Latics and Warriors confirmed investment and plans for a first-of-its-kind training centre in the UK earlier in May, with the site to be brought back into use for the first time since 2019 - when Wigan Warriors relocated to Robin Park.

The site will be used to deliver a range of sport, health, education and wellbeing initiatives, while it will also become the training home of Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic women’s teams.

In March 2024, Wigan Athletic launched its own official women's football team, and were accepted into the Lancashire Women's County League for the 2024–25 season, with the club set to call the stadium in Orrell their new home.

More than 3,400 fans have claimed tickets to support Wigan Athletic Women so far this season.

Wigan Warriors Women - in the Women’s Super League competition - will train at the facility and host Super League fixtures both at Edge Hall Road and the Brick Community Stadium.

There are plans to have the site back in use very early in 2025 with a programme of mandatory and upgrade works already well underway.

As part of both clubs’ longer-term strategies, 2024 has also seen a wide range pitch improvements programme being implemented at the Brick Community Stadium, Robin Park Arena and Christopher Park that has enabled both clubs’ women’s teams to access enhanced training and competition facilities whilst the Edge Hall Road site is being redeveloped.

However, it’s the return to the Orrell site that provides hope of boosting crowds for both clubs in the women’s game, as well as plans to add to game days off the field to attract a bigger audience.

Early January will see the installation of 900 seats in the main stand, while the terracing steps are also in the process of being re-laid to enable safe movement around the ground.

Wayne Joyce, Wigan Warriors chief operating officer, who is overseeing the redevelopment of the facility, said: “We are still in the very early stages of redeveloping the facility. We have made significant investment already to improve some of the fundamental requirements such as renovating the pitch, installing new floodlights and ensuring that stand and terracing is suitable to be used.

"In early 2025 we will carry out a refurbishment programme to the clubhouse building so we can get the facility back into use again.

"We are in strategic dialogue with Wigan council, the NHS and key local education partners to shape what a phase two development may look like when the facility is back up and running.

"It’s a really exciting project, both clubs have great aspirations to significantly develop the women’s teams and the supporting development and participation pathways.

"We also have a real focus to keep the facility embedded into the local community and working with Wigan council, the NHS and education partners will ensure that we create an absolutely outstanding multi use facility”