Quote: sally cinnamon "
A Wigan RU franchise would need a wealthy backer who is willing to pour money in and not get it all back, like Nigel Wray has done with Saracens.'"
Just like with Warrington and their owner
It is true though that anyone taking on an RU "franchise" needs to be prepared to invest shed loads of cash to assemble a team for the top flight as Nigel Wray did at Sarries. I am sure when he started back in 1995 he wasn't expecting to have to sell half the club to the South Africans to secure a cash injection and was expecting Sarries be self sustaining like Leicester and Northampton but it didn't happen.
In contrast IL has got Wigan making a small profit in the short time he has been here so why he would want to lump Wigan RL into what would be a loss making version of Leeds Rugby or whatever its called I don't know.
One reason IL has been able to do this was the generous deal Dave Whelan gave him for the club including the Orrell facility and the lease of the DW.
And of course the other obstacle to any professional RU side in Wigan is where would they play? Orrell is not big enough and in any case to be part of the brand it would need to play at the DW with all the prestige that would bring but as RU is a winter sport sharing with Latics in winter is never gong to happen.