EXCLUSIVE: Senior assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth speaks to the ECHO ahead of the England rugby union team facing Fiji at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium
Richard Wigglesworth, England senior assistant coach during the England training session at Pennyhill Park on June 10, 2026 in Bagshot
Richard Wigglesworth, England senior assistant coach during the England training session at Pennyhill Park on June 10, 2026 in Bagshot(Image: Steve Bardens - The RFU Collection via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
The round ball loyalties of senior assistant coach of the England rugby union team Richard Wigglesworth lie with Manchester United but while his side are officially playing an away game against Fiji at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the proud northerner loves Everton’s new home.
The Blues hosted their first football international since Brazil beat Japan 3-0 at Goodison Park in 1995 when Ivory Coast defeated Scotland 1-0 in a pre-World Cup warm-up by the Mersey waterfront on March 31 and the inaugural Super League Magic Weekend at the venue attracted record crowds and will return next year.
Now, the 52,769 capacity arena is gearing up for the England rugby union team’s first game in this country outside of Twickenham since 2019 and Blackpool-born Wigglesworth can’t wait to be part of it.
The 43-year-old told the ECHO: “I couldn’t believe the design of the stadium. Even from the top seat of the stand, what a great view it is and how close it still looks to the pitch.
“I’m expecting a great atmosphere in the sunshine. Hopefully everyone will be in a good mood, and the lads will rip into it.
“I’m a Manchester United fan so I have a lot of interest in new stadiums at the moment. The one that we’re proposing is slightly bigger but if it’s half as good as this one, we’ll be pretty happy.
“I’ve got my missus and kids all coming. I’ve got two girls and a boy, and my son is mad into his rugby and he’s excited to see Everton’s new stadium.
“My sister-in-law and her kids are coming too and she’s got a boy who is really into his rugby too, so he gets the chance to watch England. There are all these little bits that you wouldn’t get which is class.”
It’s not just the extended Wigglesworth clan who will be attending though. The former scrum half, who went to Kirkham Grammar School and was capped 33 times for England himself, is looking forward to showcasing his sport to a different type of crowd on Merseyside.
He said: “It’s a great occasion. It’s one of the newest stadiums around but already an iconic blue venue that everyone knows.
“The lads are excited to play there. We went down there today for the captain’s run and the coaches all went a few months ago for a meeting, so we’d already seen it.
“We knew how exciting it was going to be and we’re looking forward to seeing it full of people on Saturday.
The team train on July 10, 2026 during the England Captain's Run ahead of the 2026 Nations Championship match against Fiji at Hill Dickinson Stadium
The team train on July 10, 2026 during the England Captain's Run ahead of the 2026 Nations Championship match against Fiji at Hill Dickinson Stadium(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
“I remember, I think the first England rugby team I saw was against the Netherlands at Huddersfield in 1998 (the Dutch were beaten 110-0, for a record margin of victory for England) and you don’t often get games up here. Having what is officially an away game for us up north enables a lot of new people to come and watch us and it will be a good moment for all the proud northerners that we’ve got among the squad and coaching staff.
“I’m obviously a northerner from Blackpool and we’ve got about four or five northerners in the coaching staff, including the gaffer (Steve Borthwick, from Carlisle), so we’re all excited. There’s a lot of us who grew up in the north and know how much passion there is for the game up here and for sport in general.
“We’re excited to put on a show for a load of people who don’t usually get to watch us play, to a different audience. Those people can hopefully see what great players we’ve got.”
Wigglesworth was speaking at a T1 rugby session at the People’s Hub held in conjunction with Everton in the Community, the RFU and Sale Sharks Foundation in which local schoolchildren were introduced to the sport. He said: “The kids have been brilliant, they’ve got stuck into it and you can tell how good and competitive they are.
“They have been really sociable, so it’s been great for our boys to come down and spend some time on projects like this where they’re engaging in community and sport. Whenever there is a chance for rugby to get involved in those sort of things, we really enjoy doing it.”