Wrexham Women announce historic summer tour in United States
Joining its men’s side with a tour across the pond, the Wrexham Women are coming to the United States to play several friendlies. In partnership with financial services company Ally, the Wrexham Women’s side is organizing a Wrex Coast Tour. While the club did not elaborate on dates, venues, or possible opponents, it is still a historic milestone. The AFC Wrexham Women have never played in a summer tour akin to what it will do in 2024.
The tour’s goal is to capitalize on the popularity of Wrexham as a brand and build Wrexham Women into one of the world’s most popular women’s teams. As a club, Wrexham has become one of the most popular clubs in the world, particularly for its stature. This is especially true in the United States. For example, the Wrexham men’s side came to the United States last summer, drawing major crowds. In total, over 110,000 people came to watch four games when the side played in the United States. The highlight was over 50,000 people watching Wrexham face Chelsea in Chapel Hill, NC.
The Wrexham Women may not draw crowds that large in the United States. Regardless, this tour presents a major chance for Wrexham to build its presence in the United States. With a growing women’s soccer scene in the United States leading the globe, Wrexham is joining droves of other clubs in coming to the United States this summer.
“Beyond all of the wins at home, this tour is a fantastic way for Wrexham AFC Women to show the world what they’re made of,” Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds said.
Wrexham Women tour in United States adds to popularity
While the Wrexham men take the headlines because of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series, the Wrexham Women are popular in their own right. The women’s team had their episode in the documentary that aired on FX. Traveling to the United States will increase exposure as the club fights for constant success and promotion to better leagues and competitions.
Gemma Owen, the head of Women’s Football Operations at Wrexham, spoke to World Soccer Talk last year. She said the possibility of the women’s team touring the United States would be ideal. However, at the time, Owen did not elaborate on the feasibility of that, but she said it would be a great opportunity to play NWSL teams, for example.
The Wrexham Women are now coming to the United States to play fixtures. There is no discussion as to when and where the games will happen. The tour’s name, the Wrex Coast Tour, could indicate the side is going to the western part of the United States. That is speculation, though. The Wrexham men’s team is also going under the name of Wrex Coast Tour, and the side has a game against Chelsea in Santa Clara, CA, among others.
Success in the Welsh first division
In the 2023/24 campaign, Wrexham plays in the Adran Premier, Wales’s top division for women’s soccer. As one of the top three teams after 14 league games, Wrexham qualified for the championship phase in the division. Wrexham will now face the women’s teams from Cardiff City, Swansea, and Aberystwyth Town. Each team plays home and away against each other to determine a league champion.
Unfortunately, Wrexham did not qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League, as Cardiff City finished atop the league table after 14 games. Owen affirmed five months ago that qualifying for that European competition is the club’s top ambition.
Check out the latest list of summer soccer friendlies in the USA.
PHOTO: IMAGO