Wrexham’s Hollywood owners absent as they start tour Down Under with victory
Wrexham are in Australia and New Zealand for their pre-season tour
Wrexham opened their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand with a comfortable 3-0 win over A-League side Melbourne Victory in the absence of their Hollywood co-owners.
The Welsh side will be playing three games during the tour, but co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney did not travel with the team.
After recent pre-season tours to the United States, Wrexham have travelled Down Under to spread the club’s global footprint which has been enhanced by the popular Welcome to Wrexham fly-on-the-wall TV documentary.
Midfielder Tom O'Connor opened the scoring for Wrexham in the 42nd minute, with Ryan Hardie and George Evans adding goals in the second half.
Scottish striker Hardie, signed from Plymouth Argyle for the Red Dragons’ long-awaited return to English football’s second tier, was in place to poke home from close range after being introduced as a substitute at halftime.
Evans ended the scoring when his long-range shot squeezed under Victory substitute goalkeeper Daniel Graskoski.
The Wrexham squad are using the visit to prepare for a first season in 43 years in the Championship (the second tier), having just secured a third straight promotion.
The major reason for making the 16,000-kilometre (10,000-mile) trip to Australia is McElhenney, who recently changed his name to Rob Mac.
He previously said that Australia is the third-biggest audience for the Welcome to Wrexham series after the United States and Britain.
“We’re not here on a holiday,” Wrexham captain James McClean, who played 103 times for Ireland, said after the team arrived.
“It’s great to come and see new things, new experiences but we’re here to work, we’re here to prepare for the new season. It’s going to be the toughest challenge yet, by far.”
Wrexham plays again next Tuesday against Sydney FC in Sydney and on 19 July against the Wellington Phoenix in the New Zealand capital.