Wrexham women’s players are creating a legacy for themselves to be celebrated for years to come

Wrexham AFC Women are creating a legacy for themselves which will make them club legends for many years to come.

While the Red Dragons played tier 1 football before this season, that was under their former name of Wrexham Ladies in the Welsh Women’s Premier, which went fully national in 2012-13 and ceased operating under that name at the end of 2020-21.

Although they finished third in that inaugural campaign of the all-Wales league, Wrexham Ladies lasted just three seasons.

The team reformed in 2018-19 as Wrexham AFC Women.

After a moderate start, the takeover of Wrexham AFC in November 2020 by famous actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney also meant good news for the women’s side.

In 2021-22, women’s football in Wales was restructured into a two-level system – the top deck Adran Premier and tier 2 split into Adran North and South.

Wrexham were accepted into Adran North and finished runners-up in their first season.

Last season, they went one better, scooping the tier 2 title and winning a national play-off to qualify for the Adran Premier.

The squad became semi-professionals and hopes were high of a promising debut top-flight campaign for the Red Dragons.

What has occurred over the past 5 months has been something rather special.

At the end of 2023-24 season phase 1, Wrexham secured a place in the elite top four for the second stage of the campaign.

Not only have they won nine out of 14 matches and lost just three in finishing third, they also boast the Adran Premier top scorer this term to date in Rosie Hughes, who despite occasional injury problems heads the league chart on 13 goals from 12 games.

Hughes, 28, was leading markswoman for two seasons running in Adran North and overall has netted an astonishing 105 goals for the club in all competitions from just 55 games.

While Hughes has often been chief headline-maker, there is much more to Wrexham AFC Women than just the Colwyn Bay goal machine.

Numerous players have proven themselves to be worthy of tier 1 in the first chapter of the season – it would be unfair to single a few out, all have played a part.

There are also the Hollywood-linked sideshows, which have raised the squad’s profile on a massive scale, but plenty has been written about that elsewhere.

Grassroots North Wales’ policy is to mainly concentrate on the football, with or without the club’s assistance.

The Red Dragons’ future aim, no doubt, is to win the Adran Premier, qualify for Europe and take Welsh women’s club football to new heights.

The finance is there, the support is there, the talent is there, so why shouldn’t they do it?

What the current squad are is pioneers. Whatever happens in years to come, this group of present players will go down in history as breakthrough figures.

Wrexham ended phase 1 with a 2-2 home draw against Cardiff Met on Sunday.

Probably a disappointing result overall, given the fall from prominence the students have suffered this season, but still goals from Hughes and substitute Mari Gibbard banked another point.

So what can we expect in the second part of the season?

Definitely more improvement from Wrexham, this team is learning fast and progressing at a tremendous clip. They can win pretty and sometimes win ugly too – the mark of a good, consistent side.

Although they have lost to Cardiff City twice in the league this season, the leaders are not invincible as was proven on Sunday when beaten 2-0 at home to Swansea City.

If this was a half-term school report, the parting message for Wrexham would be a million miles away from “must do better”.

It would read something like – “fantastic start, keep it going”.