Wrexham’s pre-season tour of Australia is off to a good start, and fans following the club Down Under have been treated to some special sights.
The Red Dragons kicked off their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand with a 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory on Friday.
The tour is all part of a longstanding plan conjured up by Ryan Reynolds to generate buzz and popularity for the club in that part of the world.
While the tour may not be very accessible for Wrexham’s Welsh fans, the club has gone to great lengths to ensure that anyone following the team this summer gets a genuine taste of home.
The Turf goes Down Under for Wrexham tour
In a behind-the-scenes video from Ben Foster, who is with the squad this summer along with Ben Tozer as part of a string of interactive sessions with youngsters in Australia, it was revealed The Turf pub has been transported Down Under.
Well, sort of. In fact, what has happened is Wrexham have set up a full replica of the iconic pub as a pop-up in Melbourne, and it’s scarily accurate.
The original Turf is located next to the Racecourse Ground, and features all kinds of memorabilia from the Wrexham journey. It’s a pub both Reynolds and Rob Mac have frequented many times, too, and as you can see in the video below, the new version even has that unusual sketch of the latter adorning its walls.
On the visit to the replica pub, Foster said: “We’re at a little pop-up of the Turf here but it’s in Melbourne. It’s pretty cool from the outside actually. We’re meeting fans, saying hello, signing a few things, taking pictures.”
- READ MORE: Ben Foster says what has changed at Wrexham in 20 years, Ryan Reynolds has made it ‘shinier’
Wayne Jones was impressed with The Turf in Australia
Most Wrexham fans will know the name Wayne Jones. He is the current landlord of the Turf in Wrexham, and he’s visited the copycat version of his pub this weekend.
Commenting on Melbourne’s pop-up, Jones said: “It’s windy as hell here, I feel like I’m back in Wrexham. I mean, look at this… the windows are a little cleaner than mine back at home, that’s the first thing that stands out.
“It looks exactly the same… the bar is out of this world… Rob is gonna love this, he’s on the wall in the sexiest pose ever [referencing the sultry sketch]. The carpet is a little bit cleaner than mine, the furniture is a bit posher than mine. But wow. The detail that’s gone into this is incredible.”
Wrexham’s next game against Sydney FC is coming up on Tuesday, and they will then move on to New Zealand to complete the pre-season tour.