WARRINGTON is to host the Samoan Internationals in their pre-tournament training camp when the Rugby League World Cup takes place in October and November next year.
This was revealed today when the competition organisers announced the schedule of matches for the group games and quarter finals being.
The Somoan team will be using the state-of-the-art training facilities at the Warrington Campus of Chester University, used by the Warrington Wolves first team. The town will provide the base for Samoa in the weeks leading up to the start of World Cup.
Warrington will also host the New Zealand v Samoa group stage game and a quarter final game as well.
Welsh hosts Wrexham’s Glyndwr University Racecourse Ground have Wales taking on the USA and one of the tournament quarter-finals, while in Neath, home supporters at The Gnoll can see the men in red take on the Cook Islands.
The tournament will be pushing Rugby League further than ever before with Limerick’s Thomond Park in Ireland hosting Australia v Ireland and France playing New Zealand in Avignon and Samoa in Perpignan.
Jan Souness, chairman of Warrington’s Rugby League World Cup steering group, and assistant director for neighbourhood and cultural services at the borough council said: “I am really pleased with today’s news and look forward to giving the Samoan team a warm Warrington welcome. This isn’t just about sport, it’s about building community spirit, pulling together and showing the whole world, and our adopted team, that it’s all going on in out town.”
Wolves’ chief executive Andy Gatcliffe added: “I think with today’s announcement people will buy into the event even more and start to understand it better. Now we know the town is hosting Samoa and also the group game between New Zealand and Samoa we can tailor everything around these countries and grow the build-up to the tournament from here. The club and town will be making sure that the borough-wide community gets involved with lots of themed events and activities to be arranged centring around the Samoan culture. The more that people talk about it and get involved, the bigger and better it will become.”
Pictured (left to right) Willie Poching, assistant coach with the Warrington Wolves and a former Samoan international, Ben Westwood, Wolves first team player and England international and David Solomona, Wolves player and Samoan international at the Halliwell Jones Stadium earlier today.
