Senior International Matches (Wheelchair)

Thu 30th October 2025   - KO  16:00 - Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre , Australia

Australia

28

FT

56

Half Time
12 - 22

England

Tries

Zac Schumacher (11,42)
Dan Anstey (39,70)
Cory Cannane (75)

Nathan Collins (2,45)
Joe Coyd (6)
Rob Hawkins (9,78,80)
Lewis King (28)
Mason Billington (58)
Finley O'Neill (67)
Seb Bechara (69)

Goals

Zac Schumacher (4/5)

Nathan Collins (4/6)
Rob Hawkins (4/4)

Match Preview: Australia and England name squads for first Wheelchair international

The opening of two Wheelchair Rugby League Ashes Tests takes place on Thursday 30 October at the Gold Coast Sports & Leisure Centre (kick off 4pm local time), which is set to be a key venue in next year’s IRL Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.

The clash will be the first time the nations have met since the Rugby League World Cup 2021 opening match, played in 2022, at the Copper Box in London which England won 38-8, with the tourists back on Australian territory having last toured in 2019.

England have warmed up with wins over NSW and Queensland and both teams attended a Ministerial Reception at Queensland Parliament House in Brisbane to launch the series, hosted by Tim Mander the former referee who is now the Minister for Sport and Racing, and the Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland.

Mason Billington of London Roosters will make his starting England debut, while Finlay O’Neill of Halifax Panthers could win his first cap from the interchange bench.

Both were presented with their jerseys by former Great Britain prop and ex-Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott, at England’s eve-of-series team dinner.

McDermott recently relocated to Queensland from Newcastle having been appointed to Josh Hannay’s NRL coaching staff with the Gold Coast Titans for 2026 – and is a long-term supporter of Wheelchair Rugby League having been introduced to the sport by RFL Board member Martin Coyd OBE, with whom he shares a military background.

Lewis King will captain England for the first time in a Test following his appointment to succeed injured Tom Halliwell OBE, while the inclusion of Billington on the left wing and Joe Coyd at loose forward means there will be three London Roosters players in England’s starting five.

They are joined by Nathan Collins of Leeds Rhinos and Rob Hawkins from Halifax Panthers, with two more Panthers - O’Neill and Jack Brown – joining Seb Bechara of Catalans Dragons on the interchange bench.

Tom Coyd MBE, England’s head coach, said: “We were delighted to welcome Brian into our camp ahead of the first Test, and equally pleased to recognise the remarkable progress made by both Mason and Finlay in the last couple of years.

“It’s exciting for the sport that we have examples of players being able to make such an impact so quickly - there’s been a real evolution of the squad since the World Cup win in 2022, and Mason and Finlay are great examples of that.”

Super League’s Wheels of Steel 2025 winner Joe Coyd is in line to make his 38th England appearance, with Jack Brown hoping to make his 35th from the bench.

Skipper King said the team has arrived determined and focused on retaining the Ashes. “The rivalry between England and Australia is unlike any other, and that’s what makes the Ashes so special," he noted. “We have enormous respect for the Wheelaroos, but we’re here with one goal - to bring the Ashes back home.

“There’s a real feeling of celebration with the whole of Australia’s Wheelchair Rugby League community gathering. We know it’s going to be a tough challenge for us, but the lads are exactly where I’d want them to be.”

Brad Grove will captain the hosts in his 20th international appearance for Australia. “Pulling on the green and gold for an Ashes Test is one of the greatest honours in sport,” he said. "We’re representing not just our team, but every athlete, supporter, and volunteer who has helped build Wheelchair Rugby League in Australia. England is a world-class side, and we respect them immensely - but this is our home series, our moment, and we’re determined to make it count.”

Exciting Bayley McKenna also returns for the Wheelaroos after lighting up the last Word Cup, scoring three tries, 18 goals and a drop goal during the tournament.

Australia Wheelchair head coach, Brett Clark, commented: “Our team has been preparing for this moment - physically and mentally. This series is an opportunity for us to test our ability against the best in the world. What makes this group special is their unity, resilience, and belief in each other. Every training session has been about building trust and precision - we’re ready to leave it all out on the court.”

Wheelchair Rugby League Australia chair, Darren Gocher, added: “It is a great opportunity for our sport to have England on our shores. They currently hold the World Cup trophy but the Wheelaroos are gunning for them.  

“The calibre of our national team just keeps getting better, the sport continues to evolve and is growing rapidly. We're excited for the action to start on Thursday and expect it to be fierce and fast.

Australia have named a squad of nine players for the opening match which sees Dylan Gawthorne potentially in line to make his debut.

The match is scheduled live coverage on the NRL website and YouTube channel - http://bit.ly/4oJBAK2

Australia Squad
Daniel Anstey, Peter Arbuckle (Gold Coast Titans), Cory Cannane (St George Illawarra Dragons), Dylan Gawthorne(SEQ Stingrays), Brad Grove, Diab Karim (Parramatta Eels), Bayley McKenna, Zac Schumacher (Brothers Townsville), Adam Tannock (Townsville Marlins)

England Squad
Sebastien Bechara (Catalan Dragons), Luis Domingos (Castleford Tigers), Jack Brown, Wayne Boardman, Rob Hawkins, Final O’Neill (Halifax Panthers), Nathan Collins (Leeds Rhinos), Mason Billington, Joe Coyd, Lewis King (London Roosters).

29 October 2025
1 Anstey
Starting Player
Collins 1
2 Cannane
Starting Player
Hawkins 2
3 Schumacher
Starting Player
Coyd 3
9 Tannock
Starting Player
King 4
12 Karim
Starting Player
Billington 5
1 Arbuckle
Int1
Brown 8
3 Grove
Int2
Bechara 7
7 Gawthorne
Int3
O'Neill 8
Reserve
Domingos 7
Match report: England come from behind to down Wheelaroos

Nathan Collins led England to victory in the opening match of the Wheelchair Ashes Series after the world champions came from behind in the second half to win 56-28.

The Wheelaroos took a 28-26 lead when Corey Cannane scored a brilliant long-range try midway through the second half of the Test at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on Thursday night.

However, England responded impressively with five unanswered tries in the last 23 minutes, two of them to the Halifax Panthers flyer Rob Hawkins who ended with a hat-trick and also landed four conversions for a personal tally of 20 points.

England started the match as they finished, and raced away to a 16-0 lead in the opening minutes before Australia had even touched the ball, with Collins, Hawkins and Joe Coyd scoring early tries.

When the Wheelaroos finally got possession they hit back almost immediately through Zac Schumacher, who converted his own try.

Captain Lewis King put England further ahead but a try by Gold Coast's Daniel Anstey just before halftime kept the Wheelaroos within range, trailing 22-12 at the break.

Australia came out of the blocks much stronger in the second half, with Schumacher, who plays for Brothers Townsville, scoring his second try in the opening minute.

A brilliant individual try by Cannane levelled the scores after he dummied and split the defence before racing away to score.

Schumacher’s conversion put the Wheelaroos ahead for the first time in the match but their lead was shortlived.

Collins, who had opened the scoring in the second minute, played the key role in re-establishing England’s lead with a classy pass which sent London Roosters wing Mason Billington clear down the left.

The Leeds Rhinos pivot converted from wide out, his fourth successful kick of the day to take his own tally to 16 points, and nine minutes later a brilliant piece of play from Jack Brown sent his Halifax club team-mate and Test debutant Finlay O’Neill over for a try his performance richly deserved.

Hawkins’ first conversion extended England’s lead to 38-28 and Seb Bechara, who like Brown made a major impression off the interchange bench, then surged clear down the right for the eighth England try which secured the win.

Hawkins rounded things off in style with his second and third tries in the last three minutes - one from a slick handling move, the other a thrilling dash from halfway.

Despite the loss, Schumacher said the Australian team were happy with the improvement they had shown since losing to England at London's Copperbox Arena in the opening match of the last World Cup.

England went on to win the World Cup against France in a tense final in Manchester that attracted 1.3m viewers on the BBC.

"We didn't get the result but we were pretty happy with the game overall," Schumacher said. "We will go back and do some recovery and analyse what we can improve and what we did wrong." 

30 October 2025