What changed
Finlay O’Neill has gone from a teenager told he could not play rugby league again to a member of England’s 10-player squad for the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.
The 21-year-old made his England debut in 2025 and will help defend the title in Wollongong, Australia, where the tournament runs from 30 October to 13 November. England open against Wales on 30 October.
Why it matters
O’Neill’s story is not simply about changing equipment. It is about learning an entirely new physical skill while preserving the parts of rugby that made him effective.
After dislocating his knee at 16, he was diagnosed with shallow kneecaps and hypermobility. His running-rugby prospects appeared finished. With encouragement from his family, he joined Halifax Panthers’ wheelchair team instead.
The rugby instincts transferred. His passing, vision and ability to spot gaps were already there. The chair did not come so easily.
He had to learn to move, catch, pass and reposition almost at once. At his first Super League training session, he was chasing the others. Three years later, he has won back-to-back domestic trebles with Halifax and earned a place alongside club-mates Jack Brown and Rob Hawkins in England’s World Cup squad.
That Halifax connection could matter. O’Neill says he can often signal a move to Brown or Hawkins simply by how he holds the ball. It is the kind of understanding built through repetition, not shouted into existence during a match.
His role is likely to be that of a creator rather than the player finishing every break. Whether he plays against Wales, and how much he features in the tournament, is not yet clear. But his selection marks a striking turnaround: the knee problem that ended one sporting path led him into another, and onto the world stage.
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