Our sporting hopes for Warrington in 2022

Just as we did last year, we enter the new year amid a great deal of uncertainty as to how Covid-19 will affect the sporting calendar.

Still, with vaccine rollouts continuing and the picture looking a lot more normal of late, hopes are high for 2022.

Here are our sporting hopes and dreams for the 12 months ahead...

A normal, completed season

IS that too much to ask?

Not just at the top level either, but for our community sporting scene which has seen their activity either severely disrupted or stopped altogether at some point over the past couple of years.

Whatever game you play or watch, we hope you’re able to do so without fear of Covid cancellations or shutdowns and that 2022 is much more akin to something regular.

No more fan shutouts

IT is fair to say one of the moments of 2021 was fans able to flock back to sports grounds again.

The sight of Wire supporters gleefully filling The Halliwell Jones Stadium again back in May really was one to behold.

Warrington Town have also had to play games with limited crowds during Covid while Warrington Rylands’ run to Wembley was played entirely behind closed doors.

Now, crowds are able to attend sporting fixtures in unlimited numbers – subject to vaccination status in some cases – but with the Omicron variant spreading rapidly, that is looking more and more uncertain.

Not having supporters in grounds again would be a hammer blow to our local clubs, so let’s hope they are able to keep the turnstiles clicking.

Supporters returned to The Halliwell Jones Stadium last May. Picture by Mike Boden

A double promotion

ONE of our big hopes is that 2022 is a glorious year for our semi-professional football teams.

Both Warrington Town and Warrington Rylands enter the new year in strong positions as they push for promotion.

Yellows have been cruelly denied a place in the National League North by a combination of Covid and a one-off “super play-off” over the past few years – will they finally make the jump?

Rylands’ juggernaut appears to be a relentless one as they power through the divisions – will they secure a third promotion in four years?

Will Warrington Town and Warrington Rylands be celebrating promotion in 2022? Pictures by Karl Vallantine and Mark Percy

Our boxers continue to stride towards their dreams

2021 was a massive year in the ring for Casey Brown and Rhiannon Dixon.

A veteran of more than 100 amateur fights in the colours of Phoenix Fire Boxing Club, Brown finally turned professional and reeled off two victories following his debut in September.

On the same show as Brown’s debut, Great Sankey’s Dixon marked her return to the ring after more than two years out, with her day job as a pharmacist at Whiston Hospital taking precedence during the pandemic.

She ended the year having boxed on her biggest stage yet, featuring on the undercard of Joseph Parker vs Derek Chisora 2 at the Manchester Arena.

We hope that by this time next year, both fighters will have been busy and made progress towards their dreams.

Rhiannon Dixon in action at the Manchester Arena. Picture by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Commonwealth glory

WARRINGTON looks set to have a bit of interest in this summer’s Commonwealth Games, which is being held on home soil in Birmingham.

Swimmers James Guy and Kathleen Dawson, who won the town’s first ever Olympic gold medals during last summer’s Games in Tokyo, appear likely to be in action.

Former Cardinal Newman High School student Guy looks set to be in the England team and will be aiming to add to the seven Commonwealth Games medals already under his belt.

Dawson – a former Great Sankey High School student – is already confirmed to be part of the Scotland team for what will be her third Commonwealth Games.

James Guy, far left, and Kathleen Dawson, far right, look set to be in action during this summer's Commonwealth Games. Picture by PA Wire

Two World Cup wins for England

NOT until the back end of 2022 will the cream of rugby league and football to square off, but we hope it will be worth the wait.

England – hopefully with the help of plenty of Warrington Wolves players – will aim to lift the Rugby League World Cup on home soil having been made to wait a year longer than they wanted.

We in Warrington will host three group-stage games in the men’s tournament but when the rugby league bonanza reaches its climax, let’s hope all three trophies on offer – the men’s, women’s and wheelchair prizes – will remain on these shores.

Following that, all eyes will be on Qatar as England’s footballers aim to build on their superb run at the Euros last year.

Can Gareth Southgate’s men go all the way and end 56 years of hurt? Will Warrington’s Jesse Lingard be able to force his way back into his plans?

Can England keep the Rugby League World Cup on these shores? Picture by Mike Boden

That elusive Super League crown

THE one thing we hope for every year – will 2022 finally be our year?

It’s a new era for Warrington Wolves, with new head coach Daryl Powell taking over from Steve Price in the hot seat.

He’s promised the kind of expansive, free-flowing rugby supporters want to see, but will it earn them that first ever Super League crown and a first league title since 1955?

The likes of St Helens and Catalans Dragons look pretty formidable at the top and it is a gap The Wire will have to bridge if they are to get to Old Trafford and win.

If Powell can get a tune out of the top-class talent within his squad, though, it could well be an exciting year.

Will this trophy finally be in Warrington Wolves' possession by the end of 2022? Picture by SWPix.com