Wrexham have experienced incredible growth both within the football club and the town following the purchase of the team four years ago.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s investment was crucial to seeing their climb from the National League to the Championship, while their docuseries has helped grow the reputation of the club and shed light on what they are trying to achieve at the Racecourse Ground.
Phil Parkinson credits ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ with helping recruitment, as players understand what they are trying to achieve there.
This exposure has helped off the pitch, as tourism in Wales has increased significantly over the last four years, with Charlotte Church believing the docuseries helped the reputation of the nation.
Now, there is a possibility the country could have another set of Hollywood producers owning a Welsh sports club, potentially further helping the economy of the nation.
Hollywood producers bid to buy Cardiff Rugby from WRU
Welsh rugby has been in crisis for the last few years, with the WRU announcing that a club may have to be disbanded to allow them to function financially, allowing the nation to become a force in the sport once again.
However, this may not need to be the case, as a new consortium comprised of British-born producer Gareth West, Mark Williams, and Danish executive Niels Juul, while former Cardiff Rugby director Martyn Ryan and Rhino Sport & Leisure CEO Reg Clark are also part of the consortium, are interested in buying Cardiff Rugby.
They aim to inject significant funds into the club and introduce a scripted television series to raise Cardiff’s global profile.
This consortium is one of six who have expressed an interest in buying Cardiff and have plans to invest significant money into the club, as reported by Wales Online.
A decision is set to take place within a month to decide how the club will move forward and what the outcome of the interest in the club will be.
The plans of this consortium for Cardiff Rugby
There are parallels between this story and the Wrexham one, as some Hollywood producers want to restore pride in a Welsh sports team by exposing them to a wider audience through a television show.
While it may not exactly be a docuseries, with the proposal being a scripted one, it will help expose rugby in Wales and the nation itself to a wider audience, likely having a similar impact to ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ on the area and country.
Speaking to Wales Online, the consortium said: “It’s a multi-faceted project, and there’s a number of individual things within that.
“We are talking about media, we are talking about apparel, we are talking about TV, all with the goal of increasing fan engagement.
“These guys have got untold experience of American fan engagement; all of those will come together to drive the investment.
“That will then help recruit the best players, men and women – we plan on adding a women’s side as well – which will produce better sides.
“It’s a 10-year project to be talking about winning at the top end of the European game, but realistically we missed out on getting into Europe by one point last year.
“A properly run, more concentrated team with strong players should be achievable within a reasonable timescale.”