England national wheelchair rugby league team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Governing bodyRugby Football League
RegionEurope
IRL ranking 1 Steady (17 November 2025)[1]
Appearances4 (first time in 2008)
England
Team information
Governing bodyRugby Football League
RegionEurope
IRL ranking 1 Steady (17 November 2025)[1]
Team results
World Cup
Appearances4 (first time in 2008)
Best resultWinners (2008, 2021)

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[2] and the 2021 edition on home soil,[3] and being runners up in both 2013 and 2017.[4][5] They also won the 2015 European Rugby League Championship.[6]

Wheelchair rugby league was introduced to England in July 2005 when a team from France toured Yorkshire. On 4 May 2006, the Rugby League International Federation accepted a proposal by France to endorse wheelchair rugby league. Later that month a team representing Great Britain began a tour of France and played the first official test match on 3 June 2006 losing 20–6 to their hosts.[7] The England 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.[8][9]

The team are sponsored by Betfred in a two-year deal signed in 2022 that included the wheelchair, men's and women's teams.[10] They train at facilities including Calderdale College in Halifax[11] and St George's Park National Football Centre.[12]

Squad selected for the 2025 Wheelchair Ashes.[13]

PlayerClub
Seb Bechara Catalans Dragons
Mason Billington London Roosters
Wayne Boardman Halifax Panthers
Jack Brown (VC) Halifax Panthers
Nathan Collins Leeds Rhinos
Joe Coyd London Roosters
Luis Domingos Castleford Tigers
Rob Hawkins Halifax Panthers
Lewis King (C) London Roosters
Finlay O’Neill Halifax Panthers

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 Score[a] Opponent Competition Venue Attendance Ref.
2007 ?–?  France Friendly Harrow, London [9]
7 November 2008 34–26  Australia 2008 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage[14] Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen [15][16]
10 November 2008 72–4 Barbarians[b] Mount Druitt, Sydney [17]
12 November 2008 26–18  France Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen [18][19]
14 November 2008 66–0 Barbarians[b] 2008 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final Whitlam Centre, Sydney [20]
17 November 2008 44–12  Australia 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final Betts Stadium, Sydney [21][22]
28 August 2009 36–38  France Friendly Brunel University, London [18][23]
16 October 2010 34–44  France Friendly Cahors 1,060 [24]
8 October 2011 34–32 France France Friendly Leigh Sports Village, Leigh [25]
7 July 2012 34–12  Ireland 2012 Four Nations[26] Hull [27]
8 July 2012 50–0  Scotland [28]
8 July 2012 34–0  Wales [29][30]
27 August 2012 22–43  France Friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy Medway Park, Gillingham 700 [31][32]
3 July 2013 20–28  France 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage Medway Park, Gillingham [33][34]
6 July 2013 86–8  Ireland [33][35]
9 July 2013 50–6  Wales [33][36]
11 July 2013 81–10  Australia 2013 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final [33][37]
13 July 2013 40–42  France 2013 Rugby League World Cup Final [38]
9 May 2014 46–64 France France Friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy Kindarena, Rouen 2,700 [39][40]
13 September 2014 104–14  Scotland 2014 Four Nations[41] Medway Park, Gillingham [42]
September 2014 54–2  Ireland
14 September 2014 80–6  Wales [43]
23 September 2015 56–26  France Friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy Medway Park, Gillingham [44]
24 September 2015 24–26  France 2015 Rugby League European Championship Group Stage Medway Park, Gillingham [45]
25 September 2015 56–8  Wales [46]
25 September 2015 66–16  Ireland [47]
25 September 2015 102–0  Scotland [48]
26 September 2015 28–24  France 2015 Rugby League European Championship Final [6]
24 September 2016 90–10  Scotland 2016 Four Nations[49] Mayfield Sports Centre, Rochdale [50]
24 September 2016 94–0 Exiles[c] [50]
25 September 2016 56–14  Wales [52]
25 September 2016 52–26  Wales [53]
20 July 2017 31–71  France 2017 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage Halle aux Sport, Carcassonne [33]
22 July 2017 78–32  Wales Complexe La Rijole, Pamiers [33]
24 July 2017 80–26  Australia Gymnase du Lac, Saint-Jory [33]
26 July 2017 76–24  Australia 2017 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final Gymnase Compans Cafferlli, Toulouse [33]
28 July 2017 34–38  France 2017 Rugby League World Cup Final Parc des Expositions, Perpignan [33]
21 June 2019 31–25  France Two match series friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy Gymnase M. Guigou, Apt [54][55]
23 June 2019 46–50  France Palais des Sports de Toulon [56]
28 September 2019 48–24  Wales 2019 Tri-Nations[57] Plas Madoc Leisure Centre, Wrexham [58]
28 September 2019 136–1  Scotland [59]
29 September 2019 54–40  Wales [60]
October 2019 62–12 North Queensland 2019 tour of Australia [61][62]
October 2019 104–12 Queensland Queensland [61][62]
21 October 2019 84–28  Australia Whitlam Leisure Centre, Sydney [63][61]
23 October 2019 58–50  Australia University of Wollongong, Wollongong [63][61]
25 October 2019 86–20 New South Wales New South Wales [62]
26 June 2021 102–22  Wales Friendly English Institute of Sport, Sheffield [64]
10 November 2021 24–49  France Two match series friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy[65] Medway Park, Gillingham [66]
13 November 2021 26–39  France [67]
19 June 2022 62–48  France Friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy National Basketball Centre, Manchester [68]
3 November 2022 38–8  Australia 2021 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage Copper Box, London 3,033 [69]
6 November 2022 104–12  Spain 3,268 [70]
9 November 2022 121–0  Ireland 3,847 [71]
13 November 2022 125–22  Wales 2021 Rugby League World Cup Semi Final English Institute of Sport, Sheffield 1,318 [72]
18 November 2022 28–24  France 2021 Rugby League World Cup final Manchester Central, Manchester 4,526 [73]
5 November 2023 34–43  France Two match series friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy[74] Leeds Arena, Leeds 2,373 [75]
25 November 2023 34–18  France Palais des Sports, Marseille [76]
26 October 2024 66–33  France Friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy Robin Park Arena, Wigan [77]
21 November 2024 58–28  Spain Friendly Nantes [78]
23 November 2024 28–32  France Friendly: Fassolette-Kielty Trophy Saint-Lô ~2,000 [79]
24 October 2025 86–10 New South Wales New South Wales 2025 tour of Australia Whitlam Leisure Centre, Sydney [80]
27 October 2025 72–60 Queensland Queensland Caloundra Sports Centre, Sunshine Coast [81]
30 October 2025 56–28  Australia Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, Gold Coast [82]
2 November 2025 48–42  Australia [83]

Upcoming fixtures

Records and statistics

IRL Wheelchair World Rankings
Official rankings as of November 2025
RankChangeTeamPts %
1 Steady England100
2 Steady France86
3 Steady Ireland63
4 Steady Australia62
5 Steady Wales46
6 Steady Scotland41
7 Steady Spain25
8 Steady United States23
9 New entry New Zealand5
10 Decrease 1 Italy0
Complete rankings at
www.internationalrugbyleague.com
England historical IRL Wheelchair World Rankings
Jun
2020		 Dec
2021		 Jun
2022		 Dec
2022		 Jun
2023		 Dec
2023		 Jun
2024		 Dec
2024		 Jun
2025		 Nov
2025
Ranking 2221 (Rise1)111111
References [85] [86][87] [88][89] [90] [91] [92][93] [94] [95][96] [97][98] [99][100]

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

References

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