Warrington Wolves

The Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league club based in Warrington, England, that competes in the Super League. They play rugby at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2004. Founded as Warrington Zingari Football Club in 1876, they are one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895 and the only one that has played every season in the top flight. They are nicknamed "The Wire" in reference to the wire-drawing industry in the town. Warrington have local rivalries with Widnes, St Helens and Wigan. They have won three league championships and are the fourth most successful team in the Challenge Cup with nine victories, behind Wigan, St Helens and Leeds. Their most successful season came in 1953–54 when they completed a championship and Challenge Cup 'double', beating Halifax twice in the space of four days to first win the Challenge Cup 8–4 in a replay at Odsal, then clinch the championship 8–7 at Maine Road. Although the official foundation date for the club is given as 1876, rugby football was certainly played in the town before that date and there was an earlier club bearing the name of Warrington Football Club. Under the heading 'Outdoor Sports – Football' the Widnes Guardian of 25 January 1873 reports on a recent game between Warrington and Wigan at the unnamed ground of the former. On 6 December 1873 that same newspaper carried details of a match involving Warrington and Zingari (probably a Withington, Manchester club of that name) and in subsequent weeks there were matches with Sale and Free Wanderers. This club folded after its ground was lost to development work. Warrington Zingari Football Club was formed in 1876 by seven young local men. Zingari is the Italian word for gypsies and was commonly adopted by clubs that lacked a permanent base. The team initially played on a field in the Howley Wharf area. Warrington Zingari's first recorded game was an away game against Penketh on 28 October 1876, resulting in a defeat by a goal to nil.