IT has been impossible to miss Warrington Wolves this season.

While the team has been winning games on the field, it is off the field where they are arguably making a bigger noise.

Increased crowds at home games have been accompanied by aggressive marketing of the sport and its stars.

And Wire chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick says it is a move which will be continued in 2019 and beyond.

The biggest push was for the home clash with Wigan earlier this month, billed as ‘Bad Blood’.

It saw plenty of coverage beyond the traditional rugby league world – even appearing on the Twitter feed of UFC Europe, the mixed martial arts behemoth.

Fitzpatrick says the plan is more than simply a catchy phrase.

He added: “For each game we have theme with a story and a narrative. Wigan was Bad Blood but it was more than that, it was about the rivalry between the two clubs.

“And it provided a lot of exposure for the club and the game, “We had a fantastic crowd of 13,106, that was an extra 2,000 Warrington supporters than the same game last year which is fantastic and shows it is working.”

Warrington Guardian:

The Bad Blood promotion was used for the Wigan game

Next Friday Warrington take on London Broncos at The Halliwell Jones Stadium with a goal of packing the West Stand, which would normally be empty for such a contest.

“For the London game we have our schools day. So that is about kids getting in for £1,” Fitzpatrick explianed “But it is more than that, it is about promoting the benefit of sport to a healthy lifestyle and the example of the players within the community.

“Across the whole of Super League and as a game we need to look at how we appeal to that younger fan base.

“We are competing in a highly competitive market for that leisure spend.

“We have got to be different in terms of how we do things. We are not just a rugby league club anymore. We are in the entertainment industry.

“You have got to stand out from the crowd.”

Another area Warrington are standing out is in the women’s game.

Wire have a team for the first time and take on Barrow in the opening game next weekend.

The team’s stars have been used to market the club’s new line of leisure wear for women.

Fitzpatrick said: “I was at the launch of the women’s team and there were more than 90 women and girls playing the game which was brilliant.

“It is a massive growth area.

“Thirty per cent of our members are women and that compares very well to other clubs. We expect our new leisure wear to be really popular.”