An England star was on the receiving end of a brutal challenge during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.
In the side’s opening match of the tournament, skipper Tom Halliwell was clattered by Australia's Bayley McKenna which sent him flying forward on to the floor. "Oh wow, biggest shot of the night! Halliwell rattled out of his chair! Huge collision!,” the commentators exclaimed. “Wow, look at that! Guess who is in amongst it again, it’s Bayley McKenna.”
Thankfully, he was unharmed and the leader of the team soldiered on and led his side to a 38-8 victory over Australia. Man-of-the-match Jack Brown was the star of the show at Copper Box Arena with a brace of tries during an all-action display, while Joe Coyd and Nathan Collins also helped themselves to doubles.
Collins produced 16 points in total with Lewis King the other try scorers for Tom Coyd’s side, who had watched Ireland and Spain produce an entertaining clash to get the tournament under way earlier today. England, 2008 winners and two-time beaten finalists, are favourites for the title along with holders France.
Halliwell managed just 56 minutes in the last World Cup but has since established himself as a mainstay in the side since, taking the reins as captain for the first time in June. Ahead of the tournament, Halliwell said he believes the World Cup gives the sport a huge chance on the biggest stage. "To be on a level platform is massive for us," he told BBC Sport.
"Winning the tournament would be a huge success but the bigger thing is creating a legacy for the next generation. We just want to get more people involved in the sport, both playing and in support roles, and this is the perfect opportunity.
"Wheelchair rugby league has grown so much since the last World Cup in 2017. Back then, we had to pay our own way to get there so to be where we are now is phenomenal and we can't wait to get started." A passionate rugby league fan his whole life, Halliwell reached out to the Leeds Rhinos wheelchair set up after breaking his leg and loved playing so much he never returned to what he describes as ‘the running game.’
With the tournament now underway, it is the opportunity to continue growing and building something special that Halliwell relishes the most. He said: “I think our biggest goal as a team this year is to create a legacy. Obviously we want to win the World Cup, but also to create a legacy after this World Cup and get more disabled and able-bodied players involved in the sport," he said.
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“We genuinely feel the next generation is going to be the one that takes the sport forward further and further. We just want to build a platform where they can come in and take the sport to the next level.
“The game is bigger than us and the game has given a lot to us players. We just want to give back to the game and I feel that this is the way we can do it best, creating a legacy and a platform for disabled people to be able to get involved in sport, even able-bodied people to get involved in the sport. That’s our biggest thing this year.”
