Home of football statistics and historyWrexham are scheduled to embark on a lucrative pre-season tour to Oceania rather than head to the United States this summer.
The Red Dragons clinched a historic third successive promotion last term and will ply their trade in the Championship next season.
Phil Parkinson’s side will prepare for the new season by facing Melbourne Victory on July 11. They meet Sydney FC four days later before playing Wellington Phoenix on July 19.
Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are keen to grow the club’s global footprint and the latest tour is the latest part of their ambitious plans.
The tour will create a betting frenzy among local sports bettors, who are renowned for their passion for wagering on professional football matches.
Websites such as https://goldnbet.com/ will be inundated with players in the run-up to the games as punters bid to boost their bankroll before betting on Wrexham.
Bettors who backed the club last season were in clover after they won promotion from League One and many of them will be eager to play up their winnings.
The club’s global reputation has boomed thanks to their Hollywood ownership and the trip to Oceania will provide another boost to their profile.
Why Wrexham are changing course
Wrexham’s decision to omit the US from their pre-season plans has unsurprisingly raised several eyebrows given their Hollywood ownership.
The Welsh club have played Manchester United and Chelsea during high-profile tours of North America over the past two years.
This helped them spread their story in a country already hooked on the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series about the club’s revival under McElhenney and Reynolds.
However, with the FIFA Club World Cup dominating the landscape in the US this summer, scheduling a pre-season tour there would have been a logistical nightmare.
Uncertainty over which division they would be playing in next season did not help matters as it was unclear whether they would need to be ready for an August 2 start or a week later.
Wrexham needed to complete their tour at least 12 days before resuming domestic duties, so heading to the US would have clashed with the Club World Cup schedule.
The timing of the trip to Oceania fits more naturally into the club’s schedule and provides them with a glorious opportunity to broaden their marketing horizons.
The tour is a win-win situation for Wrexham
While the trip to Oceania is about fine-tuning the squad ahead of life in the second tier, the commercial side of things will appeal more to the club’s top brass.
The recent financial accounts released by the club show that more than half of their income now comes from overseas markets.
Most of that revenue comes from the US, but other regions worldwide are also generating decent numbers, highlighting Wrexham’s growing appeal globally.
There are several upsides to touring Oceania as the next step in the club’s expansion plans. It’s a massive English-speaking market that is becoming increasingly interested in European football.
While sports such as rugby and horse racing dominate the headlines, many Australians are already anticipating Wrexham’s arrival. The tour made national news before it was officially confirmed.
Ticket sales for the trip will be through the roof and will lay the foundations for Wrexham to grow their fanbase in a rapidly growing market.
Wrexham’s visit will also be a massive boost for the local economy. Their US tour generated around £15.3 million in revenue for North Carolina after the game against Chelsea sold out in 2023.
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