England’s men’s wheelchair rugby league team successfully defended their World Cup title by securing a 50-38 victory over France in a thrilling final held in Wollongong on Friday.
A Classic Encounter in Australia
England and France have long dominated the sport, splitting the previous four World Cup crowns between them. The final in Australia proved to be another dramatic contest, with the 12-point winning margin failing to reflect how closely contested the match remained until a late scoring burst from the English side.
Joe Coyd, whose brother Tom coaches the England team, opened the scoring with two tries to give his side an early 10-0 advantage. France responded strongly by scoring four unanswered tries to take a 22-10 lead.
England regained momentum before half-time as Jack Brown and Rob Hawkins added tries, while Coyd completed a hat-trick with a team try that gave the defending champions a six-point lead at the break.
Decisive Late Scoring
France quickly erased the deficit after the restart when Dany Denuwelaere scored, keeping the match tightly balanced just as it was four years prior.
Rob Hawkins, who was recently awarded the Golden Boot as the world’s best player for a third consecutive year, immediately answered with an acrobatic try. Coyd then crossed for his fourth score, followed by two more tries from Brown to seal his own hat-trick.
Denuwelaere added a second try for France, and completed his hat-trick in the final minute, but the late surge came too late to alter the outcome. The final whistle prompted emotional celebrations from the England players on the court.
The tournament also highlighted the inclusive nature of the sport, which permits disabled and able-bodied athletes to play together, potentially inspiring new participants watching the broadcast.
