England rugby senior assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth, a Manchester United fan, has praised Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium, calling it a benchmark for the proposed new Old Trafford. Speaking exclusively to the ECHO ahead of England's historic match against Fiji, Wigglesworth highlighted the stadium's design and atmosphere.
Wigglesworth praises stadium design
Wigglesworth, 43, said: "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." He added: "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."
The 52,769-capacity venue will host England's first rugby union match outside Twickenham since 2019. Wigglesworth, who grew up in Blackpool, expressed excitement about bringing the team to the North: "Having what is officially an away game for us up north enables a lot of new people to come and watch us."
Family and community involvement
Wigglesworth plans to bring his family to the match: "I've got my missus and kids all coming. My son is mad into his rugby and he's excited to see Everton's new stadium." The event also included a T1 rugby session at the People's Hub, run with Everton in the Community, the RFU and Sale Sharks Foundation, where local schoolchildren were introduced to the sport. Wigglesworth noted: "The kids have been brilliant, they've got stuck into it."
Historic match at Hill Dickinson Stadium
The match against Fiji marks England's first rugby union game at the stadium, which previously hosted football internationals and the Super League Magic Weekend. Wigglesworth recalled his first England match watching experience: "I think the first England rugby team I saw was against the Netherlands at Huddersfield in 1998... you don't often get games up here." He added: "We're excited to put on a show for a load of people who don't usually get to watch us play."
