Arabic version: إنجلترا تسعى للعودة إلى نهائي كأس العالم للكراسي المتحركة

According to BBC News, England’s wheelchair rugby league side opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a 98-18 win over Wales at Win Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. The defending champions face the United States in Group A on Tuesday as they target another run to the final.

This is the fifth wheelchair rugby league World Cup, and England have reached the final in every previous edition. They won the tournament in 2008 and again four years ago on home soil. Rob Hawkins leads the current squad after winning the Wheels of Steel award for the Wheelchair Super League’s best player this year.

The 25-year-old helped Halifax Panthers win the Grand Final and scored 11 of England’s 18 tries against Wales. England’s group also includes Luis Domingos, a former Portugal basketball international who now plays for Sheffield Eagles, and Jack Brown, who will become Wakefield’s wheelchair head coach next season.

France are England’s main title rivals after meeting them in the past three finals. France won the 2013 and 2017 deciders before England prevailed 28-24 in Manchester four years ago. Ireland, ranked third in the world, began with a 110-10 victory over the USA, while hosts Australia beat New Zealand 112-14 and have their strongest-ever squad.

Wheelchair rugby league features teams of five, six tackles to score and 80-minute matches. Players make tackles by removing a tag from the ball carrier’s shirt. A maximum of two non-disabled and three disabled players may be on court at one time, with non-disabled participants playing an important role in helping teams fill squads and build interest.