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England retain wheelchair World Cup with 50–38 win over France

iSport UK NewsroomWorldwideNews
AI-generated illustration of an unbranded rugby league ball beside an empty sports wheelchair on an indoor court.

AI-generated illustration.

England retained the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup by beating France 50–38 in Wollongong on Friday. Joe Coyd scored four tries and Jack Brown added a hat-trick as England became the first nation to win the competition three times.

The victory at the WIN Entertainment Centre followed England’s successes in 2008 and 2022. France won the intervening tournaments in 2013 and 2017, and the rivals were again closely matched for much of this final.

Coyd gave England an early advantage with two tries, opening a 10–0 lead. France responded with four successive tries through Jeremy Bourson, Leo Hivernat, Damien Dore and Florian Guttadoro to turn the contest around.

England recovered before the interval. Coyd completed his hat-trick, Rob Hawkins crossed and Brown finished a long kick from Hawkins just before the ball went out of play. That late score helped send the holders into half-time leading 28–22.

Dany Denuwelaere scored soon after the restart for France, but Hawkins answered with his second try. Coyd then added a fourth, and Brown crossed twice more as England established a 50–34 advantage entering the final ten minutes.

France continued to press, with Denuwelaere completing a second-half hat-trick, but their late score could not prevent England from securing back-to-back titles. England finished with nine tries to France’s seven, while Nathan Collins supplied six conversions and Hawkins one.

Coyd was named player of the match for his four-try performance. Brown, who came off the bench, has now been part of all three of England’s World Cup-winning teams.

Earlier in the same arena, Australia beat Ireland 70–24 to finish third. Daniel Anstey’s three tries earned him the player-of-the-match award in that play-off.

Sources

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