The England team who can still win the Rugby League World Cup

Those looking for hope down under can find it in an England rugby league team who can still enjoy some World Cup success. England's wheelchair rugby league team are aiming to reach the World Cup final on 13 November After a dire World Cup campaign for England in both the men's and women's competitions, with historically early exits and soul-searching reviews planned, it is hard to feel optimism at present as an English rugby league fan. But those looking for hope down under can find it in an England rugby league team who can still enjoy some World Cup success. Indeed, they are the reigning world champions with a track record of doing well in their competition, and have started in the same vein in Australia.

England began their 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup campaign with a 98-18 thrashing of Wales at Win Entertainment Centre in Wollongong and will aim for a similar success against the USA next up in Group A on Tuesday. This is the fifth staging of the World Cup for wheelchair rugby league and England have never failed to reach the final, winning twice, in 2008 and four years ago on home ground. The current England team looking to emulate that success is led by Rob Hawkins, who this year won the Wheels of Steel