Sport

Wigan Warriors fall at penultimate hurdle as women and men’s teams crash out of 2023 Challenge Cup

A double dose of disappointment for both Wigan sides this weekend.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 25th July 2023

Wigan Warriors have crashed out of the 2023 Men’s and Women’s Challenge Cup final after being bested by Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR, respectively, at the weekend.

Wigan‘s women’s team stood steadfast throughout the opening 45 minutes, keeping things level at 4-4 following a hard-fought first half, but sadly let their foothold slip after play resumed.

As reported by The Hoot, the Rhinos broke the stalemate around the hour mark and began to pull ahead over in Headingley thanks to two tries and two penalty kicks.

Close but, sadly, no cigar.

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Despite the likes of Bari Salihi and Rachel Thompson putting in strong performances, the score ended 16-4, bringing an end to Kris Ratcliffe’s side’s Challenge Cup run.

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With Leeds’ Tara Moxon adding the decisive third try after 65 minutes and Eloise Hayward adding two goals to the tally, the Rhinos booked their place in the final at Wembley on Saturday, 12 August — a repeat of last year’s meeting.

Sadly, the men’s team suffered the same fate as head coach Matt Peet and his squad fell foul to a painful drop goal winner in golden point extra time against Hull. He’s the moment they booked their spot in the final against the Leigh Leopards on the same day.

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A double-header of disappointment for the two Wigan teams but a great showing throughout the tournament from both squads, regardless, and Greater Manchester still has a chance of silverware thanks to the Leopards.

The question is, can they do it?

You can watch the 2023 Women’s Challenge Cup semi-final highlights down below and the men’s highlights HERE.

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Featured Image — Wigan Warriors Women(via Twitter)/Bernard Platt

Sport

Everything you need to know about the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup before it comes to Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The ICC T20 Women's World Cup is coming to Manchester

The countdown is really on now to one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will land in Manchester in just a few weeks’ time. 

The upcoming cricket tournament has already shattered all previous ticket sales records, ahead of what promises to be the biggest Women’s T20 World Cup ever staged.

With just two weeks to go to the opening match between England and Sri Lanka, ticket sales have already surpassed 155,000.

And anticipation is growing for the sporting event of the summer, a 24-day spectacle played across seven iconic venues in England and Wales. 

Manchester will play its part in this record-breaking tournament this summer, hosting several major games at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

The action kicks off here in Manchester on Saturday 13 June, with a double header of matches between Scotland and Ireland, and Australia and South Africa.

So if you’re planning to go down for all the action, or just want to know what’s in store, here’s the essential info you need for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. 

Manchester dates for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

The Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground will welcome seven teams across five fixtures in June, including Scotland, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and India.

  • Saturday 13 June – Scotland vs Ireland 10.30am
  • Saturday 13 June – Australia vs South Africa 2.30pm
  • Sunday 21 June – South Africa vs India 2.30pm
  • Thursday 25 June – India vs Bangladesh  2.30pm
  • Friday 26 June – Sri Lanka vs Scotland 6.30pm

Tickets for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

The T20 trophy on a tour of Manchester
The T20 trophy on a tour of Manchester

This year’s ticket sales have surpassed the total fan attendance of 136,549 recorded across the entirety of the 2020 edition in Australia, highlighting the extraordinary momentum behind women’s cricket and the growing global demand for the women’s game.

Adult tickets start from just £15 in Manchester, you can grab tickets for games HERE. 

What else is on?

Spirit Week has been driving up the excitement even further, with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy currently on a tour around the UK – including a great day out here in Manchester. 

The ICC and UNICEF will also be delivering Cricket 4 Good clinics in local communities, with cricketing stars giving young cricketers tips and skills training. 

What the ICC have said

ICC General Manager – Events and Corporate Communications, Gaurav Saxena said: “The 2026 edition becoming the highest-selling ICC Women’s T20 World Cup ever is another milestone for the women’s game.

“It not only highlights the incredible momentum behind women’s cricket but also reflects the strong cultural pull of an ICC pinnacle event, appeal for which is not limited to only the sports fans. 

“This edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set to be our biggest tournament till date and is expected to smash attendance and viewership records in the UK and around the world. This milestone is a hugely exciting moment for everyone involved and has been almost a year in the making.

“The response from fans is a testament to the bold, creative and well-executed marketing efforts of both the ICC and the ECB in the run-up to the tournament, more of which are to follow over the next four weeks.

“We look forward to welcoming fans from across the globe to England and Wales for what promises to be the biggest and most exciting edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.”

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Tournament Director, Beth Barrett-Wild said: “Surpassing 155,000 ticket sales is an incredible milestone and a powerful signal of the momentum behind the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. To have exceeded the previous record set in Australia, before a ball has been bowled, shows just how much excitement there is for this tournament and for women’s cricket globally.

“We’ve always believed this tournament has the potential to be the biggest women’s cricket event in history, and the response from fans has been extraordinary. It reflects the growing profile of the women’s game, the strength of the teams and players on show, and the appetite for world-class sporting events across England and Wales as we build towards an unforgettable summer in 2026.”

Read more: Major ‘plan ahead’ travel warning issued for this weekend ahead of Great Manchester Run

Featured image: The Manc Group

Sport

Full list of road closures announced as IRONMAN 2026 takes over Bolton next weekend

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The official route and full list of road closures have been announced, as Bolton prepares to host the IRONMAN next weekend.

Bolton has been the proud home of the UK’s IRONMAN race since 2009, and the world-renowned triathlon is all set to take over the Greater Manchester town once again in a couple of weeks time – with participants and spectators in thousands all preparing to flock to all four corners of the borough to the catch the action.

People of all ages and abilities – even including kids – are training to take part in three different events across the weekend.

And, as is always the case, residents and road users are being urged to plan ahead.

Bolton Council says a series of temporary road closures are needed to ‘ensure the safety’ of competitors and spectators.

Road closures are set to be the same as last year and will be in place for Night Run Bolton on Friday 5 June and IRONKIDS Bolton on Saturday June 6, before IRONMAN 70.3 then officially arrives on Sunday 7 June, extending from Pennington Flash in Leigh to Bolton, where Chorley New Road and the town centre will be most affected.

The town centre and Middlebrook retail park will be open as normal all weekend, but anyone driving into the town centre is advised to park at one of the car parks – which will be open as normal – rather than elsewhere or in the surrounding areas.

Anyone heading to Middlebrook from Bolton is advised to use Wigan Road (A676 / A58), to Manchester Road / Chorley Road (A6), and then use De Havilland Way (A6027) to reach the retail park.

Full list of road closures for IRONMAN 2026

All weekend:

Le Mans Crescent, Howell Croft North, and Howell Croft South will be closed from 6am on Friday 6 June to 9am on Monday 9 June, due to the course set up and build for the weekend events.

Friday 28 June – Night Run:

  • Moor Lane, Deansgate, Knowsley Street, Chorley Street, Spa Road (eastbound), St Edmund Street, Helena Road, and Bridge Street will all be closed from 5:30-9pm.

Saturday 29 June – IRONKIDS:

  • Le Mans Crescent will be closed all day
  • Deansgate will be closed from 6am-5pm

Sunday 30 June 30 – IRONMAN 70.3:

  • St Helen’s Road, Sandy Lane, Byrom Lane, Slag Lane, and Lowton Road will be closed from 6-10am
  • Wigan Road/Warrington Road (A573) will be closed from 6-10am
  • Bickershaw Lane, a short section of the A578, Nel Pan Lane, and Westleigh Lane will be closed from 6-10:45am
  • Atherleigh Way (A579) between St Helen’s Road and Kirkhall Lane, will be closed northbound only from 6-9:45am, and between Kirkhall Lane and the Talbot roundabout from 6-10:45am
  • Gibfield Park Way and Gibfield Park Avenue will be closed from 6-11am
  • North Road from the junction with Gibfield Park Avenue, Platt Lane and the A58 from Platt Lane to the Chequerbent roundabout will be closed from 6:30-11am
  • Park Road and Manchester Road (A6) will be closed westbound only from 7-11am
  • Chew Moor Lane / Tempest Road to Regent Road, and Regent Road to Chorley New Road, will be closed from 7-11:15am
  • De Havilland Way will be closed northbound from 7am-1pm
  • Victoria Road (A58) and Old Kiln Lane will be closed from 7am-1pm
  • Chorley New Road, from Beaumont Road to the Beehive Roundabout, will be closed eastbound from 7am-1pm but there will be access westbound throughout the day.
  • Chorley New Road, from Beaumont Road to Waterslea Drive, will be closed from 7am-1:30pm
  • Chorley New Road, from Waterslea Drive to St George’s Road (B6226), will be closed 7am-5:30pm
  • Chew Moor Lane, St John’s Road, Tempest Road, and Regent Road will be closed from 7-11:15am
  • Chorley Street, Bark Street, St Helena’s Road, Blackhorse Street, and Queen Street will be closed from 7am-3:30pm
  • Spa Road will be closed from 6am-6pm

“Facilitating events of this scale is not easy,” a spokesperson for Bolton Council explained ahead of the events arriving next weekend, “and it’s essential we put the health and safety of the participants and spectators as a priority.

“To ensure this requirement is met, temporary road closures will be put in place across the town, so we strongly urge residents and visitors to plan their trips with this in mind.”

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More information on the course and diversions to avoid road closures – including maps and timings – can be found on the IRONMAN website here.

Featured Image – David J H Sun (Wikimedia Commons)

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