As 2023 comes to a close, we’re taking a month-by-month look at the sporting year that was in Warrington.
Today, we look back at March when the year looked increasingly like being a special one on all fronts…
WAS there to be any stopping Warrington Wolves and Daryl Powell’s redemption act?
It didn’t look that way in March as The Wire marched relentlessly on, with George Williams and Paul Vaughan in particular looking like having their own personal battle to be crowned Man of Steel.
Hard-fought victories over Salford Red Devils and Hull KR were followed by convincing triumphs over Leigh Leopards and Castleford Tigers, taking their stunning record to six victories in as many matches.
However, it was at the end of the month that the first cracks started to show following news that Thomas Mikaele, who had formed a formidable front-row partnership with Vaughan, was to leave the club immediately for family reasons. He returned to Australia to join Gold Coast Titans.
Across town, there was jubilation for Lymm Rugby Club as their stellar season ended in promotion, meaning they would be playing National League rugby for the very first time.
They fought a titanic battle with Blackburn for the league title and having completed their campaign a week earlier, they faced a nervous wait to see whether their rivals could overhaul their points difference but their failure to do so meant the champagne could start to flow at Crouchley Lane.
At Cantilever Park, there were two massive moments in Warrington Town’s season, with Mark Beesley’s men starting the month with an incredible victory over Bamber Bridge despite being reduced to 10 men inside the first minute thanks to Sean Williams’ red card.
Shortly afterwards, the club broke their transfer record to bring Connor Woods, who had enjoyed a successful and popular loan spell with them earlier in the season, back to the club permanently from Southport to help fire them towards the promised land.
Great Sankey’s “fighting pharmacist” Rhiannon Dixon also picked up her first professional boxing belt in March as she stopped Vicky Wilkinson to become the new Commonwealth lightweight champion.
The former St Gregory’s High School pupil twice decked her opponent with punishing body shots before the referee called a halt to proceedings, with Dixon extending her perfect record to eight wins from as many fights.
We also said a sad goodbye to Frank Hawley, a popular former rugby league match official and Cardinal Newman High School teacher who passed away in March aged 71.
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