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Summary

  • England face fierce rivals France in wheelchair international at Wigan's Robin Park Arena (14:30 BST)

  • Watch live in UK at the top of the page

  • England beat France 28-24 with late Tom Halliwell try to win Wheelchair World Cup in 2022

  • They met twice in 2023 - France won 43-34 in Leeds on 5 November, England triumphed 34-14 in Marseille on 25 November

  1. How 'high-pressure' league can help England v Francepublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 25 October

    Wheelchair rugby league International - England v France

    Tom Coyd, Head Coach of England and Tom Halliwell of England celebrate with the World Cup Trophy following the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Final match between France and EnglandImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Head coach Tom Coyd led England to victory in the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup

    Date: Saturday, 26 October; Venue: Robin Park, Wigan; Time: 14:30 BST. Coverage: Live on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iPlayer and the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Sport website

    England's resilience levels going into Saturday's wheelchair rugby league international against France have been boosted by an increasingly competitive domestic game, head coach Tom Coyd says.

    Coyd has noted the significant drop in one-sided matches in the Wheelchair Super League over the past season.

    And he believes that will help England when they face their old international rivals in Wigan.

    Leeds Rhinos went through the Super League campaign without losing a match, culminating in victory over Halifax Panthers in the Grand Final - but Coyd, who also coaches the London Roosters, has seen more close games this season than ever before.

    "Players are really used to being exposed to high-pressure environments and games going right down to the wire - and we know against France that often happens," Coyd told Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Sport.

    "In 2023, there were 10 league games decided by 40 points or more. This season there have been six games decided by two converted tries or less, and only one game with that 40-point margin.

    "It shows how you can build resilience by going through hardship and they are reaping the fruits of their labour."

    Coyd has included three Rhinos players in the squad for the game - Wheels of Steel winner Josh Butler, Nathan Collins and Tom Halliwell.

    "Our hope is that the Leeds trio can pick up where they left off but also that they are able to play really well with their England team-mates and that winning mentality and confidence is shared through the team," Coyd added.

    "All national teams have a challenge with inter-club rivalries, which you can ignore or embrace.

    The squad includes seven of the players who beat France to win the World Cup in Manchester in November 2022 - when Halliwell scored the winning try in the final three minutes - with Mason Billington set to make his debut, just eight months after taking up the sport.

  2. Get Inspired: How to get into rugby leaguepublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 25 October

    Wheelchair rugby league

    England v France during the Wheelchair Rugby League World CupImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Follow Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú coverage of Wheelchair Rugby League

    Wheelchair rugby league is one of the few sports that offers both disabled and able-bodied players of both genders the chance to compete with each other on a level playing field.

    The game is instantly recognisable with tries, conversions and an extremely high competitive nature!

    With five players on a team, tackles are made by taking the attached tag or flag and conversions are scored by punching the ball from a tee over mini-rugby posts.

    Find your local club by using the or, in England, you can also visit the