Wakefield Trinity are experiencing a revival under the ownership of Matt Ellis, whose family business has injected significant funds into the club since the dramatic relegation of 2023. What had been a period of long decline for one of rugby league’s traditional names is now showing signs of real momentum both on and off the field.
From relegation to rapid turnaround
For supporters old enough to remember, Wakefield were once among the sport’s most celebrated sides, lifting league and Challenge Cup silverware in the 1960s. For younger fans, however, the club’s recent decades have been defined by middling Super League finishes and struggle. The low point came in 2023 when Trinity were relegated from the top flight for the first time since 1998.
The relegation proved a catalyst. Ellis, whose family run DIY Kitchens in West Yorkshire, initially put in a smaller sum — an investment of £250,000 during that season — before taking full ownership. Since then, he and his family estimate they have spent about £10m on transfers and improvements to Belle Vue, while plans for a new training ground have accelerated.
“I want to make this club one of the biggest in the country,” Ellis said, adding that he intends to restore the club to the glory days celebrated from a town hall balcony in the 1960s.
On-pitch progress and rising attendances
The financial backing has coincided with on-field success. Trinity won the Championship comfortably in 2024 and have since returned to the Super League. With seven rounds of the current season remaining, Wakefield sit second in the table, sandwiched between Leeds and Wigan — a position unexpected only a short time ago.
Home attendances have grown markedly. Belle Vue is now drawing crowds of around 9,000 each week, figures the club has not seen since its heyday. The uplift in supporters, the club says, has come from a mixture of improved results, big-name signings and the draw of a refreshed stadium.
- 2023 – Relegation from Super League.
- 2024 – Championship winners and promotion back to Super League.
- Present – Sitting second in Super League with seven rounds remaining; weekly crowds ~9,000; estimated family investment ~£10m.
Stadium and wider civic ambition
Ellis has not limited his ambition to the playing squad. Much of the investment has gone into renovating Belle Vue and moving plans for a new training facility forward. He has spoken publicly of wanting to “make Wakefield famous” again — to restore the presence of Trinity in the town’s civic life and to return celebrations to the town hall balcony once used by trophy-winning sides in the 1960s.
| Area | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Estimated family investment | ~£10m |
| Notable seasons | Championship win (2024); relegated (2023) |
| Current league standing | 2nd in Super League (seven rounds remaining) |
| Approximate home crowds | ~9,000 per game |
The resurgence has clear local implications. Higher attendances offer a boost to matchday traders and hospitality businesses around Belle Vue, and a stronger team could help restore civic pride in a city with a deep rugby pedigree. The proposed training ground and ongoing stadium investment will also affect local planning and employment during construction and operation.
While Ellis’s ambition is bold, the club’s recent trajectory has given supporters cause for optimism. The coming months — both on the pitch as the Super League season reaches its closing stages, and off it as planning and building projects are progressed — will be telling for whether Wakefield Trinity can sustain and build on this turnaround.
