Author : Sharks Media

Sharks secure NSW Plate Wheelchair premiership

The Sharks have been crowned the 2025 Wheelchair Rugby League NSW Plate premiers after a clinical 30-12 victory over the Bulldogs in Sunday’s grand final at Menai Indoor Sports Centre.

After falling short in four straight deciders, the Cronulla team secured a long-awaited title in dominant fashion by going through the competition undefeated.

aramex Proud sponsors of the boys in the Black White & Blue

Liam Moar bagged an important double for the Sharks, with captain Dan Friedrich – playing against his older brother Jacob – also etching his name on the scoresheet alongside Finn Moar and Louis Richards in a classy performance.

Friedrich received the coveted Spirit of the Game award.

Sharks Wheelchair coach Liam Luff, himself a Wheelaroos representative, was delighted with his team’s ability to execute when it counted.

“For this young team, who we’ve had for a long time, it means the world to finally get the big one,” Luff told Our Footy Team after the match.

Coach Liam Luff and captain Daniel Friedrich.

“The whole season they’ve been building and chasing this, so they’ve got the job done and I’m incredibly proud of them. You didn’t want to say the words ‘perfect season’, but they pulled it off in the end! It’s been an incredible year.

“Some of the players are still 13, 14 (years old). With more experience and maturity on them, we’ve got a club coming in. Incredibly proud of the progress our young stars made and the guidance that our veterans showed them all the way

“The first of many (premierships) for some of these future Wheelaroos.”

Vinh Tran, Sharks Head of Community and Government Relations, offered his congratulations after cheering the team to victory from the sideline.

“The club is extremely proud of our Wheelchair Rugby League team’s efforts – to complete an undefeated season is a remarkable achievement,” Tran said.

“Wheelchair Rugby League shows the power of inclusion and innovation. We’re honoured to support the code and help provide a platform for amazing athletes.”

CLICK HERE to watch a replay of the grand final.

Sharks team: Liam Moar, Daniel Friedrich, Finn Moar, Toby Clipsham, Oscar Doman, Emily Becroft, Archie Goody, Louis Richards.

For more information, go to www.nswwheelchairrl.com.au.

Photo credit: Steve Montgomery from Our Footy Team

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The post Sharks secure NSW Plate Wheelchair premiership appeared first on OurFootyTeam.

Author : Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter

‘We’re pumped’: Wheelaroos welcome World Cup draw

Australian wheelchair coach Brett Clark has welcomed the release of the draw for next year’s World Cup in England.

The eight-team Wheelchair World Cup will be played alongside the men’s and women’s tournaments, culminating in all three finals being staged in Manchester on November 18 and 19.

The Wheelaroos will be based in London for their pool matches at the Copper Box Arena on:

November 3 v England
November 6 v Norway
November 9 v Spain

The semi-finals will be played at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on November 13, with the final at the 5,000 seat Manchester Central on November 18 after being shifted from Liverpool.

Cory Cannane and his dad Craig proudly display their Wheelaroos jerseys.

The change to the draw, due to the postponement of the World Cup from this year, means the wheelchair final will be played the night before the men’s and women’s deciders at Old Trafford on November 19.

Clark said the Wheelaroos were excited to be taking part in the World Cup and would now step up preparations for the tournament.

“It goes without saying that the last years have been difficult but with the great news that the Rugby League World Cup has been locked in for November 2022 I am excited that wheelchair rugby league will be showcased alongside the men’s and women’s running game,” Clark said.

“Our Wheelaroos squad is currently in preparation to be part of this milestone event. I am pumped, the team is pumped, we are coming England, bring it on.”

France will go into the tournament as favourites after the 2017 World Cup winners triumphed in their recent two Test series against England in Kent.

However, England captain Tom Halliwell believes the additional 12 months preparation due to the postponement of the World Cup caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will help other nations to close the gap with France.

“It gives us more time to be able to prepare and more time to be able to build this tournament to be the best in the world,” Halliwell said.

“We have a young squad and to get that World Cup lifted we have to become better people and become better players. That 12 months gives us an opportunity to be able to do that.

“To have the final in Manchester brings sort of a family unity to the tournament, which is what rugby league is all about.

“To be here with the men’s and women’s, it’s like a whole England family and ikf all three teams get to the final it will be an amazing experience.”

Tickets can be purchased via www.rlwc2021.com/tickets

England captains John Bateman, Tom Halliwell and Amy Hardcastle with the World Cup trophies. ©RLWC2021

Wheelchair draw

Group A

Nov 3: Spain v Norway at Copper Box Arena, London
Nov 3: England v Australia at Copper Box Arena, London
Nov 6: England v Spain at Copper Box Arena, London
Nov 6: Australia v Norway at Copper Box Arena, London
Nov 9: Australia v Spain at Copper Box Arena, London
Nov 9: England v Norway at Copper Box Arena, London

Group B

Nov 4: France v Wales at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield
Nov 4: Scotland v USA at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield
Nov 7: France v Scotland at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield
Nov 7: Wales v USA at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield
Nov 10: France v USA at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield
Nov 10: Wales v Scotland at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield

Semi Finals

Nov 13: Semi-Final 1 (Winner B v RU A) at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield
Nov 13: Semi-Final 2 (Winner A v RU B) at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield

FINAL

Nov 18: Final at Manchester Central, Manchester

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The post Wheelaroos welcome World Cup draw appeared first on OurFootyTeam.

Author : England RL

Match Report: England 24-49 France

England captain Tom Halliwell praised an impressive performance by France in the first of two Wheelchair Rugby League Internationals in Kent this week – but backed his team to bounce straight back when the teams meet again at the same venue on Saturday.

Picture by Will Palmer/SWpix.com – 10/11/2021 – Rugby League – Wheelchair International – England v France – Medway Park Sports Centre, Gillingham, England – Sebastien Bechara of England passes the ball out of the tackle of Jérémy Bourson of France

Halliwell’s team, who had romped to a comfortable victory against Wales in their only previous international since 2019, were stunned by the pace, power and skill of the 2017 World Cup champions, for whom the brothers Gilles and Nicolas Clausells were outstanding.

But the Leeds Rhinos forward saw enough in the way England surged back in a thrilling second half period to draw confidence ahead of the weekend rematch.

Rugby League – Wheelchair International – England v France – Medway Park Sports Centre, Gillingham, England – Tom Halliwell (C) of England fights for possession with Lionel Alazard and Arno Vargas of France Picture by Will Palmer/SWpix.com – 10/11/2021

“That was a tough match, as you’d expect against the world champions,” said Halliwell.

“It was definitely a level up from anything we’ve played since Covid, and that’s exactly what we wanted.

England v France – Medway Park Sports Centre, Gillingham, England – Sebastien Bechara of England avoids the tackle of Nicolas Clausells of France Picture by Will Palmer/SWpix.com – 10/11/2021 – Rugby League – Wheelchair International

“We didn’t do ourselves any favours with some of the mistakes we made and penalties we gave away – and that’s what we need to improve for Saturday.

Picture by Will Palmer/SWpix.com – 10/11/2021 – Rugby League – Wheelchair International – England v France – Medway Park Sports Centre, Gillingham, England – Gilles Clausells (C) of France warms up before the match

“But we played some decent stuff as well and hopefully it was a decent game for the people watching in Medway and on the BBC.
“Every time we play it seems to be a bigger occasion, and it’s a great thing to be part of.”

After a spectacular pre-match light show to greet the entry of the teams, there were no points for 17 minutes with some brutal defence.

France broke the deadlock with a penalty from Nicolas Clausells, and he also played a key part in a try for his brother five minutes later, then converted it to extend the lead to 8-0.

England hit back with a superb try for the Halifax Panthers youngster Rob Hawkins, converted by Joe Coyd from the local Argonauts club.

Picture by Will Palmer/SWpix.com – 10/11/2021 – Rugby League – Wheelchair International – England v France – Medway Park Sports Centre, Gillingham, England – Gilles Clausells (C) of France warms up before the match

But France seized control in the late stages of the first half with Gilles Clausells scoring his second try and Jeremy Bourson adding another, to extend their lead to 22-6.

Halliwell set up a try for his Leeds team-mate James Simpson to give England fresh hope early in the second half, but France stretched away again with superb tries from Julien Panella and Lionel Alazard.

England hinted at an improbable fightback as Halliwell laid on a try for the lively Nathan Collins and then went over himself, with Collins converting both to reduce the arrears to 36-24.

But the French secured their victory when Dany Denuwelaere scored the try his formidable performance deserved, and applied further gloss with a second try for Bourson who completed the scoring with a drop goal.

England Wheelchair Rugby League team in Australia in 2019 (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

England Wheelchair Rugby League squad announced for French test

England Wheelchair Rugby League Head Coach Tom Coyd has named his matchday squad to face France tomorrow evening (Wednesday 10 November) at Gillingham’s Medway Park Sports Centre.

And Coyd includes two players – Adam Rigby and Declan Roberts – from the newly-formed Wigan Warriors team, alongside established players such as Nathan Collins, Tom Halliwell and James Simpson from the all-conquering Leeds Rhinos.

Tomorrow’s match is the first in a two-test series against the reigning world champions and will be shown live via the BBC’s Red Button from 6.30pm.

The Red Button coverage repeats the BBC’s coverage of England’s successful international against Wales earlier this year, while the cross-Channel series against the French sees both countries building towards next Autumn’s rescheduled Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021).

England Wheelchair RL Head Coach, Tom Coyd, says: “This will probably be the most competitive series we will have experienced since we played in France back in 2019.

We have been working so hard throughout the pandemic and through to the end of last season, so it’s a fantastic chance to see for real whether what we have been working on has been worthwhile.

I also think it’s a great opportunity to put this squad under some pressure, which will be a great learning experience as we build towards the World Cup.”

England Wheelchair Rugby League squad announced for French test

England squad:

Sebastien Bechara (Catalans Dragons/Halifax Panthers), Nathan Collins (Leeds Rhinos), Joe Coyd (Argonauts), Tom Halliwell (Leeds Rhinos, Captain), Rob Hawkins (Halifax Panthers), Lewis King (Argonauts), Adam Rigby, Declan Roberts (both Wigan Warriors), James Simpson (Leeds Rhinos)

France squad:

Lionel Alazard (Montauban), Jérémy Bourson, Gilles Clausells, Nicolas Clausells (all Dragons), Dany Denuwelaere (Montauban), Thomas Duhalde (Euskadi), Guillaume Mautz (Avignon), Julien Penella (Euskadi), Arno Vargas (Dragons), Adrien Zittel (Arbent)

Players from both squads – military veterans James Simpson and Gilles Clausells – will pay their respects to the fallen on Remembrance Day, 11 November, 11am, at Chatham Naval War Memorial in Kent, where they will lay wreaths on behalf of the respective teams.

The second England versus France match takes place at the same Medway Park venue on Saturday 13 November, 4pm. Before then, those England squad members who have missed out on selection for tomorrow’s match – Nathan Mulhall, Freya Levy, Martin Norris and Fred Nye – will line up for England Knights against the France Espoirs at Medway on Friday.

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The post France roll over England in test appeared first on OurFootyTeam.

Author : England Rugby League

England Wheelchair earned a convincing 102-22 victory over Wales Wheelchair at the EIS in Sheffield on Saturday afternoon.

Joe Coyd crossed four for tries in an impressive showing while there were hat-tricks for Adam Rigby, Tom Halliwell and Robert Hawkins in front of the BBC cameras.

Sebastien Bechara also grabbed a late double alongside tries by Nathan Collins and Wayne Boardman.

Scott Trigg-Turner had opened the scoring for the Welsh inside the first five minutes and would double his account in the second half. Andrew Higgins also went over for the visitors.

Newly appointed England Captain Halliwell opened the scoring for the hosts after they had fallen behind in the early stages. The hosts followed with five more unanswered tries before half-time, with Coyd’s breakaway down the left-hand flank being the pick of the bunch.

Wales started well after the interval with back-to-back efforts but England soon regained control of the fixture.

Hawkins impressed after coming on from the bench crossing for a hat-trick with his second score coming from inside his own half. Collins, Boardman and Bechara all ensured they added their names to the lengthy scoresheet as full-time approached.

The post England Smash Wales in International Wheelchair match appeared first on OurFootyTeam.

Author : England Rugby League

England have named their 10-man team for next Saturday’s Wheelchair Rugby League International against Wales in Sheffield – when the players will be using new Rugby League Elite Wheelchairs manufactured by the sports wheelchair specialists RGK for the first time in competition as they continue preparations for this autumn’s World Cup.

Adam Rigby of Leyland Warriors, Josh Butler of Leeds Rhinos and Rob Hawkins of the Halifax Panthers, the reigning Young Wheelchair Rugby League Player of the Year, are the three inclusions who were not involved in England’s successful tour of Australia in late 2019.

Butler is one of four Rhinos players in the squad, alongside Nathan Collins, Tom Halliwell and James Simpson, and Hawkins is joined by his Panthers team-mate Wayne Boardman.

The Kent-based Argonauts are represented by Joe Coyd and Lewis King, and the team is completed by Sebastien Bechara, who was born in Nottingham and now plays in France for the Catalans Dragons.

Tom Coyd, the England Head Coach, said: “Our season and preparation is building nicely. The whole of the National Performance Squad put in a huge personal effort over the pandemic period and improved in every dimension. Since we came back to training together in March this year, we have made big improvements every time we get together at practice.

“Team selection was a real challenge. Our game is evolving and we are testing ourselves, pushing the boundaries of how the game has been played and evolving the sport. Players have to be flexible and be able to fit into the playing style.

“Wales will give us a great challenge and enable us measure progress. Each player who has made selection is there on merit and will get a crack in an International Test Match.”

The players in England’s squad were measured for their bespoke chairs by RGK during recent training camps, and Martin Coyd, the General Manager of England Wheelchair RL, is excited by the impact they may have on performance.

“The build-up to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup gives us a wonderful opportunity to test, push and improve everything we do in the game,” he said. “We have built the best possible Coaching and Support Team to give the players the opportunity to be at their best. Great coaching, analysis, medicine, nutrition, sports science, psychology and wellbeing are all playing a big role in incremental improvements across the board.

“We have created partnerships with a fantastic group of sponsors which has enabled us to source a state of the art, made to measure, ergonomic Wheelchair for each player in the RLWC Team.

“RGK make the best wheelchairs in the world and they have developed a Rugby League specific Chair. We believe that this will raise our levels even further and enable the players to feel the benefit of their hard work on and off the field. We are determined to be at our very best come November.”

Dorian Benjamin, the Sales & Marketing Manager at RGK Wheelchairs, said: “Everyone at RGK is absolutely thrilled to be a part of England’s journey to the Rugby League World Cup.

“Over the past year, we have developed a fantastic relationship with the whole national team plus management staff. As a company who is heavily involved with world class level sport, we are very privileged to supply the entire team with our Rugby League Elite Wheelchairs and cannot wait to support their journey to and beyond the World Cup.”

The England squad will use the chairs in a training session this weekend at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, the venue for next weekend’s international, and for several fixtures in the Rugby League World Cup.

England v Wales, English Institute of Sport, Saturday June 26)

Sebastien Bechara – Catalans Dragons
Wayne Boardman – Halifax Panthers
Josh Butler – Leeds Rhinos
Nathan Collins – Leeds Rhinos
Joe Coyd – Argonauts
Tom Halliwell – Leeds Rhinos
Rob Hawkins – Halifax Panthers
Lewis King – Argonauts
Adam Rigby – Leyland Warriors
James Simpson – Leeds Rhinos

The post New faces and new Rugby League Elite Wheelchairs for England appeared first on OurFootyTeam.

Tom Coyd’s Side Face Wales On Saturday 26 June

England have named a 16-player National Performance Squad to continue preparations for the Rugby League World Cup later this year.

Coaches Tom Coyd and Martyn Rothwell made their selection after last weekend’s season-opening Wheelchair Rugby League 4s in Sheffield – venue for England’s Mid-Season International against Wales on June 26.

The majority of the squad will be in action today, as the 2021 Wheelchair Super League kicks off – with live coverage on Our League and Twitch of the triple header involving Leeds Rhinos, Leyland Warriors and North Wales Crusaders in Preston.

England Wheelchair name National Performance Squad

The Rhinos, who won the Wheelchair Challenge Cup for the first time in 2019, have four players selected – James Simpson, Tom Halliwell, Nathan Collins and Josh Butler.

They will go head to head with Adam Rigby and Declan Roberts of the Leyland Warriors in the last of today’s three games, which will be streamed live on Twitch and Our League, and is scheduled to kick off at 130pm.

Meanwhile in Hull, seven more of the England squad will clash when Halifax Panthers, the reigning Wheelchair Super League champions, take on the Argonauts Skeleton Army from Kent.

Halifax are represented in the NPS by Nathan Mulhall, Wayne Boardman and Rob Hawkins, the Wheelchair RL Young Player of the Year in 2019.

Lewis King, who was the Wheelchair RL Player of the Year for 2019, is one of four Argonauts in the squad with Joe Coyd, James Hazel and Fred Nye.

Warrington’s Lenny Izzard is the only Championship player in the squad, and there are two who are based overseas – Seb Bechara of the Catalans Dragons and Jack Brown, who was the inaugural winner of International Rugby League’s Wheelchair Golden Boot as the best player in the world in 2019, and remains a key figure in England’s World Cup planning despite his recent move to Queensland.

England’s Head Coach Tom Coyd said: “This was a tough selection as the 2020 National Performance Squad worked so hard over the last 18 months, all the way through the adversity in Lockdowns and the suspension of training and games.

I couldn’t have asked for any more and we have improved in many areas.

“We now have an intense month to get ready to perform against Wales in the Mid-Season International, and the pressure is on all of the players to get into the team and deliver against a strong Wales team.

We are excited about the opportunity and very focused on achieving our standards in everything we do.”

Coyd will select a 10-player squad for the Wales match, which will be followed by a week of trials and matches in July before a 10-player World Cup squad is named later in the summer.

The post England Wheelchair name National Performance Squad appeared first on OurFootyTeam.

Author : RLIF
Photo : Steve Montgomery / WRLA

England’s Jack Brown has been announced as the first-ever winner of International Rugby League’s (IRL) Golden Boot for wheelchair rugby league. The Golden Boot is awarded to the player adjudged to have been the best in international matches throughout 2019.

The award, which was made at a ceremony held in Leeds, was awarded to the England star after he beat off stiff competition from Australian Cory Cannane, Wales’ Stuart Williams, Jay Anderson from Scotland, France internationals Gilles Clausells and Kevin Pastor (France) plus England teammates, James Simpson and Nathan Collins.

The Wheelchair Golden Boot winner was selected by a panel drawn from the representatives on the IRL wheelchair rugby league advisory group.

The panel noted in particular his performances in the series victory for England on their ground-breaking tour of Australia as the defining factor that separated Jack from the other nominees.

IRL chief executive officer, Nigel Wood, congratulated the winner and the nominees saying;

“There is a great pride in being able to announce the winner of the wheelchair rugby league Golden Boot which now sits firmly alongside the awards for the male and female running games.

“I would like to congratulate Jack Brown, he has certainly excelled this year, the most active ever for the wheelchair game on the international stage. He was instrumental in the success of the recent tour to Australia by England.

“It is magnificent to note the number and quality of the other nominees and the depth of this quality can only whet the appetite for 2020 and then for Rugby League World Cup 2021.

“Wheelchair rugby league is one of the most exciting and spectacular sports in the world and we at IRL are immensely proud of their exploits and I would encourage anyone who is yet to experience the skill, speed and thrill of the game to take the opportunity to watch a game in 2020.”

The post Jack Brown Wins International Rugby League Wheelchair Golden Boot Award appeared first on OurFootyTeam.