Lenagan hails bright future for World Club Series

Wigan chairman Ian Lanegan believes that the World Club Series has a huge future ahead of it as a fixture on the rugby league calendar.

Wigan face Brisbane Broncos in the second match of the the three-game series which pits Super League champions Leeds, plus Wigan and St Helens, against the NRL‘s finest.

North Queensland Cowboys will take on Leeds in the battle of champions, while St Helens open the series with their game against Syndey Roosters.

The games take place on February 19, 20 and 21, with Wigan playing on Saturday February 20.

“The World Club Series has now become a very serious event which all the leading Australian clubs want to qualify for and compete in,” Lanegan told the Warriors’ official website.

“There will no longer be any suggestion of friendly games or warm-up matches; this is now a high profile, important international club competition which will get bigger and bigger, just as European Champions League games have become in football.

“The top three NRL clubs from 2015 have qualified to compete with their equivalents in Super League and sell-outs will be the order of the day.

“This is a unique occasion for the Rugby League community to get behind all three English sides with loud and enthusiastic support and I will be leading the Wigan Board of Directors and the Wigan fans in supporting not just Wigan, but Leeds and St Helens to win the World Club Series for England.

“It’s about time England beat the Australians and we will never have a better chance with Wigan, St Helens and Leeds representing England in front of sell-out crowds following the example of the current England vs New Zealand Series.”