The 2026 season is the Wigan Warriors's 46th consecutive season playing in England's top division of rugby league. They are competing in the 2026 Super League season and the 2026 Challenge Cup.

Following the end of the regular season, club captain Liam Farrell retired from professional rugby league.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/cp3klq70xnxo

Preseason friendlies Wigan's preseason game against Hull FC was Liam Marshall's testimonial match.

Date and timeVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 10 January; 13:00 North Wales Crusaders A Eirias Stadium L 22–34 Chan, Wadsworth, Sambou, Hodkinson Lowe (2/3) 1,509 Not televisedhttps://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2026/01/10/warriors-beaten-by-crusaders-in-pre-season-opener/ 1 February; 15:00 Hull FC H Brick Community Stadium W 22–18 Marshall, Nsemba, Field, Farrimond Keighran (2/3), Farrimond (1/1) 4,511 Not televisedhttps://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2026/02/01/warriors-beat-hull-fc-in-liam-marshall-testimonial/

Super League

Regular season From 2026, the Super League expanded to 14 teams, with Toulouse Olympique and York Knights being promoted from the RFL Championship via the IMG Grading system. At a meeting of all twelve Super League teams at the Headingley Rugby Stadium on 28 July 2025 to vote on the expansion proposal, Wigan Warriors were the only club to abstain from voting.

Wigan's 2026 Super League fixtures were announced on 27 November 2025, with the opening round fixtures confirmed the day prior. After speculation regarding its inclusion in the 2026 calendar, Wigan's Magic Weekend fixture was confirmed on 25 November; with the event taking place at the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium in Liverpool.

Wigan's away fixture against Catalans Dragons was moved to Paris by the hosts in 2025 to celebrate 20 years of the club competing in Super League, in addition to also marking 30 years of French clubs competing in the British rugby league system. The match will be played as a double-header with the Super XIII 2025–2026 Grand Final.

The club faced criticism for their round 12 squad section against Hull Kingston Rovers, naming 10 uncapped players in the match day squad a week ahead of the Challenge Cup final. The club quickly received backlash from its own fans and neutrals, with fans and journalists making similarities to Salford Red Devils's round 1 squad in 2025 which they received a two point deduction for. The matter was investigated by the Rugby Football League who determined there was no breach of operational rules.

Fixtures Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVPos.Report 15 February; 15:00 Round 1 Castleford Tigers A OneBore Stadium W French WardleKeighran (3/5) 8,259 Sky Sports+ / Super League+ / BBC iPlayer 3rd 21 February; 20:00 Round 2 Hull FC H Brick Community Stadium W 34–6 Walters <br >Eckersley Eseh Field (2) French Keighran (5/6) 16,620 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 1st 26 February; 20:00 Round 3 Leigh Leopards H Brick Community Stadium W 54–0 Keighran French Eckersley Nsemba Forber Keighran (9/9) 16,370 Sky Sports Action 1st 7 March; 17:00 (GMT) Round 4 Toulouse Olympique A Stade Ernest-Wallon W 36–16 Keighran French O'Neill Walters Keighran (4/7) 5,497 Sky Sports+ 1st 19 March; 20:00 Round 5 York Knights H Brick Community Stadium W 23–22 Hodkinson Keighran Keighran (3/4) Drop-goals: Smith 13,187 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 1st 28 March; 15:00 Round 6 Huddersfield Giants H Brick Community Stadium L 16–34 Eckersley Farrimond Farrell Smith (2/2) 15,611 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 1st 3 April; 15:00 Round 7(Good Friday) St Helens A Brewdog Stadium L 24–34 Smith Farrimond Field Eckersley Keighran (4/4) 17,918 Sky Sports Main Event 3rd 19 April; 15:00 Round 8 Castleford Tigers H Brick Community Stadium L 14–24 Sambou Eckersley Keighran (2/2 + 1 pen.) 13,442 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 5th 24 April; 20:00 Round 9 Warrington Wolves A Halliwell Jones Stadium L 6–23 Eckersley Keighran (1/1) 13,218 Sky Sports+ 6th 2 May; 15:00 Round 10 Bradford Bulls H Brick Community Stadium W 38–14 Eckersley O'Neill Keighran (4/6) Hodkinson (1/1) 13,362 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ / BBC iPlayer 5th 15 May; 20:00 Round 11 Leeds Rhinos H Brick Community Stadium W 24–4 Farrimond Keighran Hodkinson Wardle Keighran (4/4) 14,627 Sky Onehttps://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/13544339/super-league-wigan-vs-leeds-available-on-sky-one-as-rhinos-title-challenge-continues-against-warriors6th 21 May; 20:00 Round 12 Hull Kingston Rovers A Sewell Group Craven Park L 4–62 Lowe 10,246 Sky Sports+ 6th 6 June; 18:30 (BST) Round 13 Catalans Dragons N Stade Jean-Bouin W 40–16 Field Nsemba, Marsden Farrimond Wardle Eckersley Keighran Keighran (5/7 + 1 pen.) 12,525 Sky Sports+ 6th 12 June; 20:00 Round 14 Wakefield Trinity A DIY Kitchens Stadium W 48–10 Partington Wardle Eckersley Keighran (6/9) 8,095 Sky Sports+ 4th 20 June; 15:00 Round 15 York Knights A York Community Stadium W 72–20 Eseh Keighran Nsemba French Farrimond Keighran (10/13) 7,258 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 4th 27 June; 15:00 Round 16 Hull FC A MKM Stadium W 20–16 Eckersley Hodkinson Keighran Smith Keighran (1/4 + 1 pen.) 12,272 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ (Free Brordcast) 3rd 5 July; 17:30 Round 17(Magic Weekend) St Helens N Hill Dickinson Stadium W 16–14 Keighran Field Eckersley Keighran (2/3) 42,903 Sky Sports Action 2nd 10 July; 20:00 Round 18 Warrington Wolves H Brick Community Stadium W 30–18 Cartwright Kerr Eckersley McDermott Daniel Keighran (5/5) 16,621 Sky Sports Action 2nd 17 July; 20:00 Round 19 Huddersfield Giants A Accu Stadium W 24–10 Partington Eckersley (3) Keighran (4/4) 3,391 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 2nd 24 July; 20:00 Round 20 St Helens H Brick Community Stadium W 38–16 French Keighran Keighran (6/6 + 1 pen.) 18,906 Sky Sports+ 3rd 31 July; 20:00 Round 21 Leigh Leopards A Leigh Sports Village W 20–8 Field French Eckersley Hodkinson Smith (2/4) 10,265 Sky Sports Action 3rd 8 August; 17:30 Round 22 Toulouse Olympique H Brick Community Stadium W 48–18 French Hodkinson Eseh Field Smith (8/8) 16,889 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 2nd 15 August; 18:30 Round 23 Bradford Bulls A Odsal Stadium W 34–6 Keighran French McDermott Kerr Smith (5/6) 7,561 Sky Sports+ Red Button / Super League+ 2nd 21 August; 20:00 Round 24 Wakefield H Brick Community Stadium W 26–12 French Field Keighran (4/4 + 1 pen.) 15,652 Sky Sports Action 2nd 27 August; 20:00 Round 25 Hull KR H Brick Community Stadium W 46–0 Field Keighran Wardle Keighran (7/8) 16,847 Sky Sports Action 2nd 5 September; 20:00 Round 26 Leeds Rhinos A Headingley Rugby Stadium W 40–8 Daniel Marshall French Field Keighran (6/7) 19,698 Sky Sports Action 1st 11 September; 20:00 Round 27 Catalans Dragons H Brick Community Stadium W 50–12 Smith O'Neill Farrell Daniel Field Eckersley Keighran Keighran (7/8) 19,049 Sky Sports+ 1st

Table

Playoffs Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 26 September; 17:30 Semi-finals Wakefield Trinity H Brick Community Stadium L 6–33 O'Neill Keighran (1/1) 16,724 Sky Sports Main Event / BBC Two

Challenge Cup

Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 8 February; 15:00 Round 3 Rochdale Hornets A Spotland Stadium W 83–0 Eckersley (4), French (2), Field (3), Farrimond, Partington, Wardle (3), Mago Keighran (12/15) Drop-goals: French 4,248 Not televised 13 March; 20:00 Round 4 Bradford Bulls H Brick Community Stadium W 30–6 Thompson, Eckersley, Marshall, Keighran, Sambou Keighran (4/5), Smith (1/1) 9,997 Not televised 12 April; 13:00 Quarter-final Wakefield Trinity A Belle Vue W 26–22 Mago, Marshall, Field, Eckersley (2) Keighran (3/5) 8,051 BBC One 9 May; 14:30 Semi-final St Helens N Halliwell Jones Stadium W 32–0 Farrimond (2), Eckersley (2), Wardle, Keighran Keighran (1/2 + 1 pen.), Smith (2/4) 13,421 BBC One 30 May; 15:00 Final Hull Kingston Rovers N Wembley Stadium W 40–10 Farrimond (2), Nsemba, Keighran (2), French, Thompson Keighran (6/7) 56,383 BBC One

Transfers

Gains Player Club Contract Date Dayon Sambou St Helens 4 years October 2025 Jonny Vaughan Oliver Wilson Huddersfield Giants 3 years November 2025 Finn McMillan Barrow Raiders 2 years + 1 Year December 2025 Oliver Partington Catalans Dragons 5 years January 2025

Losses Player Club Contract Date Christian Wade Newcastle Red Bulls October 2025 Liam Byrne Warrington Wolves 2 Years + 1 Year October 2025 Trent Kelly-Duffy Swinton Lions October 2025 Harvie Hill Hull F.C. 4 Years October 2025 Tyler Dupree Toulouse Olympique 1 Year Loan November 2025 Jacob Douglas St Helens 3 Years November 2025 Harvey Makin Oldham Roughyeds 1 Year Loan November 2025 Kruise Leeming Catalans Dragons 1 Year Loan January 2025 George Hirst Castleford Tigers 3 Years March 2025

Squad

See also 2026 Wigan Warriors Women season

Notes

References