A Wellington family originally from the Welsh city of Wrexham are “so excited” for their hometown club’s upcoming clash with the Phoenix.
Wrexham AFC, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, take on the Nix at Sky Stadium on Saturday as part of their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Watch the Phoenix take on Wrexham live and free on TVNZ+ and TVNZ2
For the Wilce family, Saturday’s clash at the cake tin is a worlds collide moment.
Born and bred in Wrexham, the football-mad family relocated to Wellington in 2018, becoming Nix fans in the process.
“We never-ever thought we’d ever see Wrexham play in our home town [against the] Wellington Phoenix,” Dawn Wilce told Breakfast. “A home away from home.”
Wilce used to watch Wrexham growing up and has been following the club’s dramatic rise from relative obscurity in England’s fifth tier to the second tier in just five years. Its international reputation has also been bolstered by the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham on Disney+.
“The whole buildup over the last few years to them being here over this weekend, we’re just so excited,” Wilce said.
She said that while they will be supporting Wrexham over the Phoenix, the game was still a “win-win”.
“We are Phoenix fans through and through as well. We adopted the Phoenix as our new home team when we landed here, and we go to all the games. The kids are all heavily involved with football as well, so it’s a real family affair.”
She said “part of us was torn” as to who they would want to support at the game, but they would ultimately be sitting with the Wrexham fans.
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Wilce said it had been “so exciting” watching the club’s rise.
“It’s just been really fantastic, not just for the team but the supporters, and also Wrexham town as well, it’s really been put on the map.
“Quite often people come and ask me in Wellington ‘where are you from’, I used to say Chester because nobody knew Wrexham but they most certainly do now.”
Saturday's match kicks off at 5pm.
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