From a knee injury at 16 to England's wheelchair World Cup squad

Finlay O'Neill is 21, does not use a wheelchair in his day-to-day life, and is heading to the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup with England. The Halifax Panthers winger is one of five debutants in the squad for the tournament, which starts on Friday 30 October in Wollongong, south of Sydney.

His route there began on a standard rugby league pitch. At 16 he dislocated a knee playing the 13-a-side game, where the attacking team has six tackles to move the ball forward. After extensive medical tests, he was diagnosed with shallow kneecaps and hypermobility, meaning his joints move further than most. BBC Sport reported the diagnosis and his move into wheelchair rugby league with Halifax.

Wheelchair rugby league is the same basic game, played by athletes who use wheelchairs. O'Neill was one of nine players added to England's initial wheelchair squad list in 2025, and he was named in the national performance squad for 2026. His first England call-up came in August 2025.

He has also played for England's able-bodied side in the Ashes series in Australia. He came on as a second-half substitute on his debut against New South Wales, and later scored a try on his Test debut. A try is the wheelchair and league equivalent of a touchdown, worth four points.

Head coach Tom Coyd has named a 10-player squad for the World Cup. O'Neill is joined from Halifax by Jack Brown and Rob Hawkins, who were both part of the England team that beat France in the 2022 final. Wayne Boardman, O'Neill's coach at Halifax, was also in that winning side. In total, the squad includes five World Cup winners. Mason Billington of London Roosters is also in the group.

England open against Wales, then face the USA and Ireland. France, Scotland, New Zealand and hosts Australia make up the other pool. The official tournament news confirmed the squads were released in early October, with matches played at the WIN Entertainment Centre.

Halifax also had a strong domestic season. The club claimed a clean sweep of domestic honours for the second year running, and several of its players are now in the England group. O'Neill fits his rugby around a job at a local supermarket.

What stands out is how much of this story is about persistence. A young player's knee gave way on a league pitch, and the road back has led him into an international squad. The next few weeks will show how England fare in Australia, and how far a 21-year-old debutant can go with a shirt he has already worked hard to earn.