The Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup will be contested by eight teams; England last won the trophy in 2008; England will get their tournament under way on Thursday against Australia at the Copper Box Arena in London at 7.30pm
Last Updated: 02/11/22 5:09pm
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England head coach Tom Coyd says he would love to grow the wheelchair game in the UK and see his team succeed at their home tournament
England head coach Tom Coyd says he would love to grow the wheelchair game in the UK and see his team succeed at their home tournament
England head coach Tom Coyd says his side are prepared for the “tough challenge” Australia pose in their Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup opener and captain Tom Halliwell is taking inspiration from the togetherness and success of England’s Lionesses.
The competition will be contested between eight teams and starts on Thursday at London’s Copper Box Arena.
After taking over as head coach role in 2020, Coyd has been working towards this World Cup and it is well within his side’s sights to take home the ultimate prize.
The England Wheelchair team last won the trophy in 2008 and have finished runners-up to France in both tournaments since. Coyd cannot wait for the competition to start.
“The mood has never been better. Seriously, the mood is fantastic,” Coyd said on the eve of England’s opening match.
“It’s been turned into an absolutely amazing venue as if it wasn’t already. Rugby League World Cup have done an awesome job and now we’ve just got to follow it up with something even better.”
England start their home tournament against Australia at 7:30pm on Thursday and the head coach has the contest marked down as a significant test for his side.
“This first game against Australia is going to be a really tough challenge for us,” Coyd said. “We haven’t played them for more than three years and they have come on leaps and bounds since then.
“We’ve been watching as and when we can, obviously the geography means that you can’t check up on them too much. We’ve taken an interest into their Origin fixtures; they’ve played two this year.
“We’re aware they’ve got a very different squad to the one we played in 2019; a more developed strategy and I’m expecting an incredibly tough game and our team are up for the challenge.”
After facing-off against Australia, England take on Ireland and Spain in Group A.
If they top the standings, England will face the runner-up of Group B in the semi-finals and a potential match-up against France in another final is something that could very much be on the cards. Coyd is not looking too far forwards, though.
“I really don’t know how the tournament is going to develop,” he said. “All we can do is make sure we play as well as we can and see how the draw falls.”
Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup: Meet the teams
We profile the teams taking part the wheelchair tournament, which kicks off with a double-header on Thursday.
England captain Tom Halliwell says the whole team have been boosted by the success they have seen other national sides enjoy of late, particularly England’s Lionesses.
“We talked about gaining inspiration from the Lionesses and what they have done this summer and we feel like we’ve got similar stories, so we just want to emulate that,” Halliwell said.
“You could see how much they were enjoying their time in the camp together and how much they enjoyed each other’s company. It’s no different for us.
“We just want to do the same and emulate what they’ve done because they’ve brought a country together and we feel like we’ve got the opportunity to do something similar.”
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Comedian Adam Hills looks at the impact wheelchair rugby league can have on individuals
Comedian Adam Hills – ambassador for the tournament – discussed the impact the competition has on individuals.
“I think it’s made us all accept our disabilities. It’s also made us realise that sometimes your disability can lead to something better in life, like I would never have played for Australia if not for the fact that I was born without a foot,” Hills said.
“It’s made us all embrace our disabilities, it allows people with a disability the chance to be part of a team and you don’t always get that when you’re disabled, so we get to feel what it’s like to be a part of this incredible group of people.
“I remember being at the launch in Buckingham Palace and it was, this is the men’s, this is the women’s, this is the wheelchair – equal footing. And every time I say ‘equal footing’ I think that’s probably not right for the wheelchair game, but it’s just enormous because we’re all rugby league players, male, female, wheelchair physical disability. I think the slogan for the tournament should be ‘It’s rugby league, isn’t it?’.”
Wilkin: It’s incredibly skilful, it took my breath away
Jon Wilkin spent time with the Scotland team ahead of the tournament and gained significant insight and an appreciation for the sport.
“Since retiring, I’ve not really touched a ball and just to get into the mindset of playing rugby in a wheelchair was exceptional for me,” Wilkin said. “I was greeted so warmly by the Scottish team. I understood very quickly how tough it is to actually perform well.
“For people who haven’t seen the wheelchair game, it’s ferocious and they hit each other so hard. When you’ve got someone coming in at a chair at you, full steam, it’s the most unnatural thing to accelerate into them,” he continued.
“I was trying to back up, I was backing away to get out of the way. That’s not the way to do it apparently! It gave me a really good glimpse into the wheelchair game and how accessible it is.
“It’s the most inclusive sport I’ve ever seen and it’s incredible fun. It’s serious, it’s aggressive and it’s incredibly skilful. It took my breath away really, I got quite emotional afterwards because I enjoyed it that much.”