Wigan Warriors’ ambitions to defend their World Club Challenge title have come to an end, dashing any hopes of a rematch with the Penrith Panthers. The Super League champions had been eager to face off against the reigning NRL champions, who secured their fourth straight title last month.
Despite significant efforts to arrange the showdown, logistical challenges ultimately proved insurmountable. Multiple attempts to schedule the match were explored but were ultimately dismissed due to various complications.
The situation became more complicated when Penrith’s CEO, Brian Fletcher, declared that the club could not participate because of logistical and player welfare issues tied to their upcoming involvement in the Las Vegas weekend. This event is set to take place just one week after the proposed World Club Challenge date, which would have required the Panthers to travel to the UK and then to the U.S. on consecutive weekends.
Wigan had even offered to travel to Australia to make the match happen. However, the Panthers raised concerns about player welfare, noting that many of their athletes would not have had the mandatory rest period stipulated in NRL contracts.
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