England retain wheelchair rugby league World Cup title

Summarised from 5 outlets · 10 reports · Updated 13 Nov, 17:33 · Archive

England beat France 50-38 in the wheelchair rugby league World Cup final in Wollongong, Australia to retain their title.

England retained the wheelchair rugby league World Cup on Friday with a 50-38 victory over France in Wollongong, Australia. It was England's third world title, following earlier victories in 2008 and 2022.

Joe Coyd scored four tries for England, including two in the opening minutes to give his side an early 10-0 lead. Jack Brown added three tries and Rob Hawkins two. France fought back with four unanswered tries in the first half to lead 22-10, but England staged a comeback to lead 28-22 by half-time. The match remained close throughout, with France repeatedly closing the gap, but England pulled away in the final stages.

The final was the fourth consecutive World Cup final between England and France, with the two nations having combined for all five world titles to date. Since England's 2022 victory, the teams had met four times, with both winning twice and only 10 points separating them across their three previous finals.

England's head coach Tom Coyd managed the match while his younger brother Joe played as a winger. Tom said coaching his brother was 'the hardest thing that I've ever done from a work perspective' but also 'the most rewarding'. He added: 'There's a reason it doesn't happen very often because it can be really difficult. But in our quirky ways, Joe and I find a way to make it function.' Joe has been part of England's set-up since 2013, when he played in the World Cup as a 15-year-old, and this was his fourth tournament.

Joe echoed his brother's sentiment about having family involved, saying: 'I've been lucky enough to do this for a while and it's such a special occasion and privilege every time. But having my brother and my dad alongside me sort of just nudges it on a bit further.' England's captain Lewis King noted that the sport had grown dramatically since he first started playing, with the 2022 World Cup final attracting almost 2 million television viewers and 5,000 in attendance in Manchester.

How it is being reported

• England beat France to become back-to-back world championsEngland become world champions for the third time after beating France 50-38 in the wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final in Australia.BBC Sport · 13 Nov, 11:40
• Spectacular try helps England to Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup gloryEngland has been crowned Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup champion for a third time, defeating France 50-38 as Australia finished its campaign with a comprehensive victory in the third-place play-off.ABC News Australia · 13 Nov, 11:21
• England win Wheelchair World Cup for third timeEngland win the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup for a record third time - beating France 50-38 in the final in Wollongong, Australia.BBC News · 13 Nov, 11:10
• England beat France to retain Wheelchair Rugby League World CupEngland 50-38 France: Joe Coyd scored four tries as England retained their world titleIndependent Sport · 13 Nov, 11:09
• Rugby League World Cup glory again for England’s wheelchair championsEngland prevail 50-38 over France in Wollongong final Joe Coyd scores four tries to set England up for glory England successfully completed their defence of the wheelchair Rugby League World Cup after edging old foes France in a thrilling final in Wollongong. The two best sides in the wheelchair discipline were perhaps always destined to meet in the final given the superiority they possess over the other nations. England defeated the French by only four points in Manchester four years ago in front of 5,000 fans and Tom Coyd’s side were victorious once again, this time on Australian soil.…The Guardian · 13 Nov, 10:39
• England crowned Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup championsEngland Wheelchair have been crowned Rugby League World Cup champions with a 50-38 victory over France in Wollongong, Australia.Sky Sports · 13 Nov, 08:53
• World Cup triumph would only be half the story for England’s wheelchair rugby league squadEngland go into Friday’s final against France hopeful of retaining their title – and inspiring more to take up their fast-growing, compelling sport Sport in Britain is so often judged on various key metrics. Attendances, TV viewing figures, revenue and, arguably the most important one of all, trophies. On Friday morning, a group of men will represent England in a World Cup final, hoping to retain the trophy they won in 2022 while still playing for something far more important. The captain of England’s rugby league wheelchair team, Lewis King, remembers what things used to be like as a…The Guardian · 12 Nov, 11:58
• BBC to show England-France wheelchair World Cup finalEngland's bid to retain the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup will be shown live on the BBC on Friday.BBC Sport · 12 Nov, 11:30
• Coyd family one step from England Wheelchair World Cup gloryA second successive World Cup win would take England Wheelchair men's side to unparalleled heights in Rugby League - but for Tom and Joe Coyd, the matter of the final is still very much a family affair.Sky Sports · 11 Nov, 13:50
• The brothers and their dad driving England's World Cup bidEngland's bid to retain the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup on Friday will be driven by two brothers - one of whom is the head coach, the other a player.BBC Sport · 11 Nov, 12:36

In this story: England · France · Joe Coyd · Tom Coyd · Jack Brown · Rob Hawkins · Lewis King · Wollongong

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