Wigan Warriors to host Championship game as part of unique double-header

Wigan Warriors will have a unique double-header at the Brick Community Stadium next month – with the Challenge Cup holders also hosting a Championship game between Salford and Swinton.

Salford were due to face the Lions in a huge local rivalry on Sunday August 9 – but the CorpAcq stadium is unavailable due to planned pitch renovation works at the venue.

That left Salford looking for a venue to stage the game – and now, Wigan have stepped in to provide a unique day of back-to-back rugby league fixtures from two different divisions.

Wigan to host Salford game

The two sides, who played out some epic games including an unforgettable play-off win for Salford a few years ago, will now be co-hosts at the Brick next month after Salford revealed their search for a one-off venue led them to Wigan.

The Warriors have facilitated the switch by having their game against Toulouse at 5:30pm – allowing Salford to kick off against the Lions at 2pm.

Salford said in a statement: “Salford RLFC can confirm that our final home fixture of the 2026 season against Swinton Lions will now be played at The Brick Community Stadium, home of Wigan Warriors, on Saturday the 8th of August.

“The fixture will form part of a double-header afternoon of rugby league, with Salford kicking off at 2.00pm, before Wigan Warriors take on Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Super League at 5.30pm.

“The match was originally scheduled to be played at the CorpAcq Stadium on Sunday the 9th of August. However, planned pitch renovation works by Salford City Council mean our home ground will not be available for the fixture.

“We have been working behind the scenes for a number of months to find the right solution. Once it became clear the fixture would have to be moved, a number of options were explored before deciding that, if we had to take our fans away from home, we wanted to create an occasion they could really look forward to.”

Salford CEO Ryan Brierley added: “This isn’t about simply finding somewhere to play. If we were asking our fans to travel away from home, it had to be for something worth making the journey for.

“Playing at one of rugby league’s great stadiums as part of a Super League double header gives us the chance to create a real occasion for our players and our fans.”