Super League chairman speaks out about worrying attendance decline

Once able to fill the DW Stadium for most home games, now Wigan struggle to fill even one of the stands fully.

With attendances on the decline for almost the past decade, Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan addressed the pertinent issue at the Wigan fans’ forum event last week.

“Before Covid and its threats to Rugby League, our attendances have been declining. That’s been a steady period since about 2014. And that’s a worry,” Lenagan said.

Lenagan was, however, keen to share the ideas that both himself and General Manager Kris Radlinski had been incorporating in a bid to improve youth participation.

“And one of the things that Kris is particularly working on along with Martin McLoughlin our community head, is the issue of the younger people who we’ve got to have to replace the elderly breed, me included, who’ve been Season Ticket Holders for a long time. And that’s beginning to work rather well.

“The Leeds and St Helens games, to see between thousands of tickets being sold by the community for new tickets were superb. It really helped. And that is growing and growing.

“We’ve got a large amount of effort and quality going into the community operation. So that should go well.”