England lean on champions and Hawkins firepower for World Cup defence
England have named a 10-player squad to defend the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in Australia this autumn.
The squad was confirmed on 21 September, with England heading Down Under as holders after their famous win on home soil in 2022, according to the BBC. Tom Coyd remains head coach. He led the team to victory in Manchester in 2022 and will lead the defence.
Lewis King will captain the side. He is one of five survivors from that 2022 triumph. The others are Jack Brown, Joe Coyd, Nathan Collins and Rob Hawkins.
The full ten is Mason Billington, Brown, Collins, Joe Coyd, Luis Domingos, Hawkins, Chris Haynes, King, Tristan Norfolk and Finlay O'Neill. London Roosters supply three of them in Billington, Joe Coyd and King, according to RLWC2026. Halifax Panthers also contribute three players to the final group, according to TotalRL.
Hawkins is the headline name. The winger finished as Wheelchair Super League's top try-scorer this season with 70 tries. He was also voted 2025 International Wheelchair Player of the Year to win the 2025 IRL Golden Boot, the sport's world player of the year award, according to Rugby-League.com.
England fly out on 22 October. They open against Wales on 30 October at 04:30 GMT. Then come the USA on 3 November at 07:30 GMT and Ireland on 6 November at 06:00 GMT.
All matches are at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre, south of Sydney. The final is there on 13 November at 08:30 GMT. UK fans will need early alarms.
What makes this stand out is the blend. Five champions bring know-how. New faces bring pace and points. Australia awaits, and England will not sneak up on anyone this time.
