What changed
England beat France 50-38 in Wollongong on 13 November 2026 to win the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.
The victory made England the first nation to win the Wheelchair World Cup three times. It also completed a four-year plan built around attack, not “defending” the title won in Manchester in 2022.
Why it matters
Tom Coyd’s language shaped the result. England used a ladder in team meetings, painting a rung gold after each win, and imagined themselves as sharks hunting the game rather than champions protecting something.
That mindset showed up in the numbers. England scored 386 points across the group stage and semi-finals while conceding 68. In the final, they still had to survive a serious French response: after leading 10-0, England fell 22-10 behind before Rob Hawkins and Jack Brown helped restore control.
Captain Lewis King then gathered the team at half-time. Coyd said King’s presence and timing gave the group reassurance. That combination of aggression and composure was the decisive edge.
France did not fade quietly. England’s win came against a side Coyd described as hungrier than before, which makes the margin more meaningful than a routine repeat. The champions were not simply holding on to their status; they recovered from trouble and took it back.
Comments
No comments yet.