WIGAN’S first-ever women’s game at the DW Stadium will be an “emotional” moment for vice-captain Rachel Thompson.
The Warriors open their Super League campaign this Friday against newly-promoted Barrow.
It’s being staged as part of a double-header with the men’s team, who play Castleford at 8pm after the women’s match at 5.45pm.
Loose-forward Thompson has been with Wigan since they formed their women’s team ahead of the 2018 season, but her association with the club goes back much further as a childhood supporter.
It means their first DW outing – the adjacent Robin Park Arena is their usual base – will be a particularly special occasion.
“I’ve been sat in that stand since I was five years old and had a season ticket,” said Thompson.
“I never thought I’d be wearing a Wigan shirt, but I definitely didn’t think I’d be walking out at the DW.
“I’ve been at Wigan now for six years and never would have thought it was a possibility. Fair play to the club, they back us all the way.
“For me it will be emotional. It’ll be a pinch-me moment. Everyone says Wembley and those big stages are great, but for me playing at the DW will be something way better than I could put into words.”
Wigan have been the ‘fourth club’ in recent years, behind the trio of Leeds, St Helens and York but ahead of the rest.
Taking the next step, from reaching semi-finals to winning them, is the long-term goal.
“For us now it’s got to be about not just being good enough to get there, we’ve got to win those big games,” said Thompson.
“We’ve got to get to those finals. We want to win silverware, that’s why we’re all here.
“We don’t want to be happy to be up there with the top four, we want to compete with them and we want to beat them.
“We’ve got a very young squad but they’re now a year older, they’ve got that little bit more experience. If we look after them, we’ll come good in the end.”
The eye-catching appointment of Denis Betts, a former player and coach for the men’s team, as head coach is a sign of their ambition.
“He’s brought a bit of a breath of fresh air to the team. He’s got a different outlook,” added Thompson.
“He comes with years of experience in the game. He says he is new to coaching women but he has a lot of experience within Rugby League.
“The girls love him. They respect him and have a lot of time for him.
“He’s brought a bit of a new way of thinking. He’s upped our standards. Being such a legend of the game, you want to impress him. You want to up your game.”
