England national wheelchair rugby league team

The England national wheelchair rugby league team represents England in wheelchair rugby league. The team have played in all four World Cup tournaments, winning both the inaugural competition in 2008[1] and the 2021 edition on home soil,[2] and being runners up in both 2013 and 2017.[3][4] They also won the 2015 European Wheelchair Rugby League Championship.[5]

England
Team information
Governing bodyRugby Football League
RegionEurope
IRL ranking1st
Team results
World Cup
Appearances4 (first time in 2008)
Best resultWinners (2008, 2021)

The team was established in 2007 under the auspices of the British Wheelchair Tag Rugby League Association and played its first test match, against France the same year.[6]

The team are sponsored by Betfred in a two-year deal signed in 2022 that included the wheelchair, men's and women's teams.[7] They train at Calderdale College in Halifax.[8]

Current squad

Squad selected for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (played in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).[9]

  • Tom Coyd (Coach)
  • Sebastien Bechara (Catalans Dragons)
  • Jack Brown (Halifax Panthers)
  • Wayne Boardman (Halifax Panthers)
  • Nathan Collins (Leeds Rhinos)
  • Joe Coyd (London Roosters)
  • Rob Hawkins (Halifax Panthers)
  • Tom Halliwell (Leeds Rhinos)
  • Lewis King (London Roosters)
  • Adam Rigby (Wigan Warriors)
  • Declan Roberts (Wigan Warriors)
  • James Simpson (Leeds Rhinos)

Competitive record
England wheelchair rugby league team celebrating at Old Trafford in 2022
World Cup Record
Year Finish
Australia 2008 Champions
England 2013 Runners-up
France 2017 Runners-up
England 2021 Champions

Results
Date Opponent Score Competition Ref.
7 November 2008 Australia Australia 34–26 2008 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage[10] [11]
November 2008 France France ?–?
November 2008 Barbarians[lower-alpha 1] ?–?
November 2008 Barbarians ?–?
17 November 2008 Australia Australia 44–12 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final [12][13]
16 October 2010 France France 34–44 Friendly [14]
8 October 2011 France France 34–32 Friendly [15]
7 July 2012 Ireland Ireland 34–12 2012 Four Nations[16] [17]
7 July 2012 Wales Wales 34–0 [18][19]
8 July 2012 Scotland Scotland 50–0 [20]
3 July 2013 France France 20–28 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage [21]
6 July 2013 Ireland Ireland 86–8 [21]
9 July 2013 Wales Wales 50–6 [21]
11 July 2013 Australia Australia 81–10 2013 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final [21]
13 July 2013 France France 40–42 2013 Rugby League World Cup Final [22]
14 May 2014 France France 46–64 Friendly [23]
13 September 2014 Scotland Scotland 104–14 2014 Four Nations[24] [25]
September 2014 Ireland Ireland 54–2
14 September 2014 Wales Wales 80–6 [26]
23 September 2015 France France 56–26 Friendly [27]
24 September 2015 France France 24–26 2015 Rugby League European Championship Group Stage [28]
25 September 2015 Wales Wales 56–8 [29]
25 September 2015 Ireland Ireland 66–16 [30]
25 September 2015 Scotland Scotland 102–0 [31]
26 September 2015 France France 28–24 2015 Rugby League European Championship Final [5]
24 September 2016 Scotland Scotland 90–10 2016 Four Nations[32] [33]
24 September 2016 Exiles[lower-alpha 2] 94–0 [33]
25 September 2016 Wales Wales 56–14 [35]
25 September 2016 Wales Wales 52–26 [36]
20 July 2017 France France 31–71 2017 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage [21]
22 July 2017 Wales Wales 78–32 [21]
24 July 2017 Australia Australia 80–26 [21]
26 July 2017 Australia Australia 76–24 2017 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final [21]
28 July 2017 France France 34–38 2017 Rugby League World Cup Final [21]
21 June 2019 France France 31–25 Two match series friendly [37]
23 June 2019 France France 46–50 [38]
28 September 2019 Wales Wales 48–24 2019 Tri-Nations[39] [40]
28 September 2019 Scotland Scotland 136–1 [41]
29 September 2019 Wales Wales 54–40 [42]
26 June 2021 Wales Wales 102–22 Friendly [43]
10 November 2021 France France 24–49 Two match series friendly[44] [45]
13 November 2021 France France 26–39 [46]
19 June 2022 France France 62–48 Friendly [47]
3 November 2022 Australia Australia 38–8 2021 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage [48]
6 November 2022 Spain Spain 104–12 [49]
9 November 2022 Ireland Ireland 121–0 [50]
13 November 2022 Wales Wales 125–22 2021 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final [51]
18 November 2022 France France 28–24 2021 Rugby League World Cup final [52]

Records and statistics
IRL Wheelchair World Rankings
Official rankings as of June 2023
RankChangeTeamPts %
1 SteadyEngland England100
2 SteadyFrance France85
3 Increase 1Wales Wales61
4 Decrease 1Australia Australia52
5 SteadyIreland Ireland42
6 SteadyScotland Scotland33
7 SteadySpain Spain21
8 SteadyUnited States USA19
9 SteadyItaly Italy0
Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT

The team has only ever lost to France, the originators of the wheelchair game. England's biggest defeat was 31–71 on 20 July 2017.

England's biggest win was 136–1 over Scotland on 28 September 2019; their biggest win without conceding was 121–0 over Ireland on 9 November 2022.

Honours

See also

Notes
  1. The Barbarians/Pacific Islands were a replacement team due to New Zealand withdrawing from the 2008 World Cup[11]
  2. The Exiles were a mix of Irish, Welsh and English players as Ireland were unable to travel with a full side to the 2016 Four Nations[34]

References
  1. "Sculthorpe backs England wheelchair team". LoveRugbyLeague. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. "Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final: Tom Halliwell late try secures trophy for England". BBC. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  3. "2013 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup – Wales Rugby League (WRL)". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  4. "2017 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup – Wales Rugby League (WRL)". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. "Match Report: European Wheelchair Championship Final". European Rugby League. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  6. "Bradford Bulls Wheelchair Rugby". Bradford Bulls Foundation. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  7. "England rugby league strikes Betfred deal". www.sportindustry.biz. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  8. Bower, Aaron (2 November 2022). "'It left me in awe': my hands-on initiation to wheelchair rugby league". the Guardian. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  9. "Rugby League World Cup 2021: Official wheelchair squads". nrl.com. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  10. "England Wheelchair team win World Cup". England Rugby League. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008.
  11. "Wheelchair Rugby League tournament". 9 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. "Story of the 2008 World Cup". RLWC2001. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  13. "England Wheelchair Rugby League win the World Cup". Sport Focus. 17 November 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  14. "France 44–34 England". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  15. "England 34–32 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  16. "Wheelchair Fixtures: 2012". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  17. "Ireland 12–34 England". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  18. "England 34–0 Wales". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  19. "ENG Wheelchair 34v0 WAL Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  20. "England 50–0 Scotland". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  21. "Wheelchair World Cup". rugbyleague.wales. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  22. "Match Report: Wheelchair World Cup final". European Rugby League. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  23. "France 64–46 England". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  24. "Wheelchair Fixtures: 2014". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  25. "ENG Wheelchair 104v14 SCOT Wheelchair". Scotland Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  26. "ENG Wheelchair 80–6 WAL Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  27. "England 56–26 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  28. "England 24–26 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  29. "England 56–8 Wales". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  30. "Ireland 16–66 England". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  31. "Scotland 0–102 England". European Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  32. "Wheelchair Fixtures: 2016". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  33. "England claim Wheelchair 4 Nations title". Scotland Rugby League. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  34. "WAL Wheelchair 42–18 Exiles Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  35. "ENG Wheelchair 56–14 WAL Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  36. "ENG Wheelchair 52–26 WAL Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  37. "England 31–25 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  38. "France 50–46 England". European Rugby League. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  39. "Wheelchair Fixtures: 2019". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  40. "WAL Wheelchair 24–48 ENG Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  41. "ENG Wheelchair 136v1 SCOT Wheelchair". Scotland Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  42. "WAL Wheelchair 40–54 ENG Wheelchair". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  43. "England 102–22 Wales". European Rugby League. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  44. "England's wheelchair rugby league team seek to right wrongs against France in Sunday's international". Sky Sports. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  45. "England 24–49 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  46. "England 26–39 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  47. "England 62–48 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  48. "England 38–8 Australia". European Rugby League. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  49. "England Wheelchair 104-12 Spain Wheelchair". RLWC2021. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  50. "England Wheelchair 121-0 Ireland Wheelchair". RLWC2021. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  51. "England Wheelchair 125–22 Wales Wheelchair". RLWC2021. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  52. "England beat France to win Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup - reaction". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
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