HALIFAX — Halifax Wanderers will play Wrexham AFC in a three-game under-21 series in July in Atlantic Canada.
The series will kick off July 5 at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax before moving to Charlottetown on July 9 and Saint John, N.B., on July 12.
Wrexham, co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor/producer Rob McElhenney, has won fame for its celebrity ownership and rise up the ranks captured in the documentary series "Welcome to Wrexham."
The Welsh side is headed to England's second-tier Championship, becoming the first team in England’s top five tiers to win promotion three years in a row.
Founded in 1864, Wrexham bills itself as Wales' oldest professional football club and the third-oldest in the world.
This marks the third edition of the Wanderers’ International Summer Series, which pits a Wanderers development team against pro sides from overseas.
“Wrexham AFC has become a truly global brand and is one of the fastest rising clubs in world football so we are thrilled to welcome them to the Maritimes this summer," Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin said in a statement. "Our goal is to help grow this beautiful game across our region, so we are excited to be visiting Saint John for the first time and to bring a little bit of Hollywood to the Wanderers Grounds."
In 2023, a Halifax Wanderers U23 team played Germany's Holstein Kiel in a three-game series in Moncton, Charlottetown, and Halifax. In 2024, the series expanded to five cities, with the Wanderers under-21 side facing U-21 teams from England's Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for our young players and staff to experience soccer outside of the U.K. and Europe, providing much-needed development opportunities not just in soccer, but life skills too for our young professionals," said Wrexham academy manager Andy Lowe. "It also provides us with a great opportunity to build relationships with the local community, universities and professional clubs to develop future pathways and opportunities for young players."
The Charlottetown game will be at UPEI Turf Field, while the Saint John stop is at the Canada Games Stadium.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025
The Canadian Press
