Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards ticket controversy

Have Leigh Leopards refused to play their upcoming Super League semi-final against Wigan Warriors?

Wigan have issued a statement claiming that the Leigh owner has informed them his club will not play in Friday’s Super League play-off clash.

Author | Amy W

The Warriors are due to host Leigh at the Brick Community Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd, with a large travelling support expected from the Leopards. But on Wednesday morning, Wigan announced that Beaumont had declared the ticket allocation offered to Leigh was “unacceptable”.

According to Wigan, Leigh were given the option of either 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats, a decision made in consultation with police and supported by Super League. The Warriors say Leigh have rejected this and, as things stand, are refusing to take part in the semi-final.

In their statement, Wigan said: “At 10.37pm on Tuesday 30 September, our club was informed in writing by Derek Beaumont of Leigh Leopards that they do not intend to fulfil this Friday’s scheduled semi-final fixture.”

They posted the statement in full on their Twitter/X account

Club Statement: Play-Off Semi-Final. #WWRL #SLWIGLEI pic.twitter.com/bpD7eXvoC9

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) October 1, 2025

The statement ends: "The safety and welfare of all supporters must come first. This is not open to negotiation and underpins every decision we make. We continue to prepare for Friday’s semi-final and will release further information as the situation develops.”

Leigh Leopards have yet to offer a response but this is a controversy that is expected to overshadow what has the potential to be a classic encounter between two local rivals.

One Rugby League journalist, Matthew Shaw, reponded: “On the face of it, Leigh's stance has no credibility whatsoever. The minimum allocation has always been 10%. Wigan have supplied tickets that surpass that considerably. Policing already sorted, not something that can easily be changed. Half wonder if Wigan are calling Derek Beaumont's bluff. Await Leigh's statement with interest.”