Why Wrexham are down under as Australia tour begins

Phil Parkinson and James McClean are in Melbourne as Wrexham begin preparations for the new season 10,000 miles from home

First America, now Australia.

Wrexham's bid to go global is just about to take in a new continent.

And, appropriately for the club co-owned by Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, it begins at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Friday.

With their back-to-back-to-back promotions behind them, it is there where Wrexham kick-off their three-game schedule in the southern hemisphere, taking in fixtures in Melbourne, Sydney and Wellington, New Zealand.

But - as so often the case with the Hollywood-backed club of Reynolds and Rob McElhenney - the 10,000-mile trip is more than just about preparations for a first season at Championship level in 43 years.

So, before their games down under, BBC Sport Wales takes a look at just why Wrexham are in Australia.

Who are Wrexham playing?

Friday, 11 July – Melbourne Victory v Wrexham (Marvel Stadium, Melbourne - 10:30 BST)

Tuesday, 15 July – Sydney FC v Wrexham (Allianz Stadium, Sydney - 10:30 BST)

Saturday, 19 July – Wellington Phoenix v Wrexham (Sky Stadium, Wellington - 06:30 BST)

What's the background?

Although it would have been an absurd thought not so long ago for a side who had spent 15 years in non-league, global summer tours for Wrexham are nothing new.

The past two summers have seen Phil Parkinson's side prepare for a new season by heading to North America, taking on a mixture of local and Premier League sides.

Building on the profile of the club via their celebrity ownership and the accompanying Emmy award-winning documentary, big crowds welcomed Wrexham for games against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

At the time one Wrexham source suggested officials at established clubs had privately admitted envy at how quickly the north Wales side had built up a fanbase in the American marketplace – something underlined by the club's accounts showing more than half of their revenue came from outside the UK.

The trips also allow the club to collaborate with some of their non-UK sponsors, such as front of shirt backers United Airlines.

It may not be the norm for a non-Premier League side to embark on such a summer tour, but very little has been normal for Wrexham since their 2021 Tinseltown takeover.

Wrexham have made two pre-season trips to the US and Canada, taking on Premier League opposition

Why not a return to the States?

A decision was made early on to look at an alternative to the US – with two good, intertwined reasons behind it.

First was the fact the Fifa Club World Cup was being staged in America. With few Premier League sides making the trip because of it, finding suitable opposition would prove difficult while they would also be competing for eyes and media attention.

Playing into that is the start dates for the English Football League (EFL) season. The Premier League does not kick-off until 16 August, a week later than the Championship – meaning the time Parkinson wanted to be away with his side did not quite meet up.

Also, Wrexham had to plan in case they did not make it out of League One with the bottom two levels of the EFL starting even earlier on 2 August.

The club had vowed not to repeat the past mistakes of their first pre-season in the States in 2023. Then they had played games on both the east and west coasts of the country, with their final fixture just seven days before their opening League Two fixture. It was later blamed for the side's slow start to the season.

With a narrow window of opportunity, the club opted against the US - and Australia and New Zealand became options.

Why Australia?

Wrexham have used the tour for preparation and publicity, with Dan Scarr - pictured here with Melbourne Demons player Jake Lever - among those to head to an AFL game

Because the market is there.

McElhenney has previously been quoted as saying the country is the third biggest audience for the globally-screened Welcome to Wrexham series after the US and the UK.

So it should come as little surprise that there is a desire to make the most of that.

"From the very beginning, we wanted to make Wrexham a globally-recognised team, town and brand. We could not be more excited to bring the Red Dragons to Australia and New Zealand, and we are particularly proud that this announcement features neither a Men at Work or Hugh Jackman joke," the co-owners said when the tour was announced.

While the A-list status of the club's ownership makes for headlines, the club's spending – up to now – has mostly come from the money its profile generates.

The talk around the club for some time has been to "future-proof", to prepare for when the documentary runs its course and profile diminishes. In other words, build up the markets and fan bases to keep the money coming and the good times rolling.

For example, Wrexham Lager – a company both Reynolds and McElhenney and new US investors the Allyn family have a stake in – launched in Australia last year.

The club's new kit – with its design a nod to the season they last played in the second-tier and the legendary Joey Jones – was launched in Sydney and Melbourne at the same time as stores in New York and a new superstore back home.

It is the first time Wrexham's increasingly popular shirts are available to buy direct from outlets abroad without having to go via the Stok Cae Ras club shop.

The Marvel Stadium even has a new Deadpool and Wolverine mural for the occasion (despite the latter's alter-ego Hugh Jackman coming from Sydney and Welshpool Paul Mullin now on loan at Wigan Athletic).

Wrexham's players have been in front of cameras at local landmarks such as Melbourne's Princes Bridge, played a bit of cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with former Baggy Greens one-day captain Aaron Finch, and spent time with Aussie Rules club Hawks. A giant red Welcome to Wrexham bus has been the eye-catching mode of transport.

Local reports have suggested the interest is there, talking of queues of fans looking to meet players and media outnumbering the visits of some Premier League clubs.

Former players Ben Tozer and Ben Foster have been signed up to play ambassadorial roles during the stay, which includes playing sessions for youngsters via the club's foundation.

And while ticket sales mean that Wrexham may well make some money from the games, the publicity tour is about longer-term.

What about the football?

"We're not here for a holiday," captain James McClean reminded reporters in the build-up to their opening game against Melbourne Victory, the A-League's grand final runners-up a month ago with 40,000 fans tipped to attend.

"Wrexham's a hot ticket at the moment in world football," said the hosts' head coach Arthur Diles. "It gives us an opportunity to grow our brand and the football market of Australia internationally."

Wrexham have not gone into the schedule with their eyes closed. The club had already sent staff to check logistics and suitability of training venues and travel times well before the announcement of the tour in May, Parkinson adamant the tour needed to help preparations rather than cause problems.

That includes recruitment, with the manager telling reporters he had been up until the early hours on some calls after admitting his squad is not where he wants it to be to start the new season at its highest level in four decades.

Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle and Wales' ex-Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward are the new faces in the squad of 30, including long-term injury victims Andy Cannon and Mo Faal who continue their rehabilitation.

Parkinson has also included academy graduates Alex Moore, Callum Edwards and Max Purvis for the experience and potentially forming part of squads this season, again showing his focus will be on the campaign and not commerce.

Playing in the Australasian winter means they do not have to cope with the problematic heat of trips to the States that impacted on schedules.

Travelling has been kept to a minimum – there is relatively little distance between Melbourne and Sydney and the hop to New Zealand is not long-haul.

And it is thought the squad will fly straight home after the Wellington game, with almost three weeks to ready themselves as they kick-off a fourth season in a row in a different division when they take on Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.

"It's great for new experiences but the bread and butter is that we're here to work and prepare for the new season," added McClean. "It's going to be the toughest challenge so far and we want to be best shape possible going into the new season."

Where next for Wrexham?

Aside from the bid to reach the Premier League, the club aren't ruling out moves into other markets.

The new kit retail deal also included Nordic countries while the latest Welcome to Wrexham series included hints towards their relationship with Mexican side Necaxa, with whom Reynolds and McElhenney are said to hold a minority stake in alongside Eva Longoria. The 'spin-off' series is due to be released early next month.

And this week, chief executive Mike Williamson has hinted at an untapped Asian market as they try to ensure their grand ambitions have a global audience.

For now, though, Australia will do.