England Beat France 50-38 to Win Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup

England have won the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup for a third time, beating France 50-38 in the final in Wollongong, Australia. They are the first nation to win the tournament on three occasions, according to BBC Sport.

The final was played at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre. Wheelchair rugby league follows the same basic idea as the 13-a-side game: carry the ball, get through the tackles and touch it down over the opponent's try line to score. Players compete from wheelchairs, and the contact is just as fierce.

England were ahead at the break, leading 28-22. France kept pushing in the second half, but England held on to finish 12 points clear.

The scoring was shared around. Joe Coyd crossed four times for England, while Jack Brown scored three tries and Rob Hawkins two. For France, Dany Denuwelaere scored three tries. A try is the main way points are scored in the game, and a team that scores several in one match can build a lead quickly.

Hawkins also ended the tournament with a personal milestone. He became the first player in any form of rugby league to win three successive Golden Boots, an individual award handed out by the International Rugby League (IRL). That puts his name in a list of its own across the sport's many codes.

What stands out is the balance of the scoring. Three England players found the try line in a final that swung back and forth at the break, and France's replies never let the match settle. For a sport with a smaller following than the able-bodied game, a result like this puts the athletes' skill and stamina front and centre.

The win gives England a third World Cup title. France came second, and both teams leave Wollongong with a final to remember.