In a real-life Ted Lasso story that’s already got me hooked, fan-faves Wrexham AFC have climbed up the ranks toward their first attempt at securing a promotion to the Premier League. But first, they’re heading over for a pre-season tour to Australia, and y’all, this is not a drill.
The upcoming Welsh team — which was purchased by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney back in 2021 — are all set to face off against three A-League teams in July. It follows two successful tours in the US that saw them previously go head-to-head with Manchester United in 2023 and Chelsea in 2024.
Come July, the Red Dragons will kick things off with a match against Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium on July 11.
This will be followed with games against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on July 15, and Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on July 19. I’m already texting the group chat with this one.
Just last month, Wrexham sealed a record third successive promotion to the English Championship (translation: one level below the Premier League), marking a pretty meteoric rise in the rungs of the English Football League. And c’mon, you gotta love a good underdog tale.
They’ve also grown wildly popular after the award-winning behind-the-scenes Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham. Australia actually notches the third-biggest audience for the show, behind only the US and UK, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
“From the very beginning, we wanted to help make Wrexham a globally recognised team, town and brand. We could not be more excited to bring the Red Dragons to Australia and New Zealand,” said Reynolds and McElhenney in a statement, confirming the three-game tour.
In true Deadpool spirit, they even managed to sneak in a lil’ bromance mention, adding: “We are particularly proud that this announcement features neither a Men at Work or Hugh Jackman joke. The latter of which took maturity and tremendous restraint. We’re proud of Ryan. Of course, we make no promises going forward.”
Founded in 1864, Wrexham are the oldest professional football club in Wales, and the third oldest in the world. But they were a battling non-league team before being taken over four years ago, with Reynolds and McElhenney leveraging their star power and business connections to help the club achieve some pretty lofty goals.
They last played in England’s second division in the 1978–79 season and they’ve never competed in the top flight.
Sydney FC chief Mark Aubrey said the club is thrilled to welcome Wrexham AFC to Sydney, pointing out their incredible story and continued rise “has captured the imagination of fans in Australia and around the world”.
“Facing a team with such momentum, driven by the passion of Rob and Ryan, is a fantastic opportunity for our club and an amazing chance for our members, and the wider football community, to witness Wrexham and their award-winning docu series first-hand,” he said.
Caroline Carnegie, managing director at Melbourne Victory, added that playing a team with such a rich history “will be a fantastic experience for all football supporters”.
Where can you watch Wrexham AFC’s tour of Australia?
If you’re keen to get in on the live action, pre-sale opens on Wednesday, 14 May, with the general round slated for Friday, 16 May. The tickets will set you back around $59 for adults and $39 for children.
Can’t make it IRL? The games will also be streamed live on Paramount+, with kick-off at 7:30pm AEST for the Melbourne and Sydney matches.
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