Rugby league aim high with men’s, women’s and wheelchair World Cups
This weekend sees the start of a trio of Rugby League World Cups that could propel the sport through a glass ceiling of publicity and awareness, as England becomes the first host nation of simultaneous men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments.
Delayed a year from 2021 for pandemic-related reasons, the three World Cups will take place over the next month, starting with the men’s on Saturday and culminating in a finals weekend in Manchester.
“It’s huge, and when I say huge I don’t mean with a small h,” James Simpson, England wheelchair league player, tells Morning Wire
“You’ve got the men’s, the women’s and the wheelchair at the same time – the women and wheelchair players will get paid for the first time ever.
“It’s been elevated to this level where for three weeks we’re going to be playing professionally for our countries and that’s massive.
“The good thing about the men starting now and us later is that we hit our finals at the same time – that 24-hour period in Manchester will see three huge World Cup finals.”
Simpson, like British triathlete Alex Yee and sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, says he was directly inspired by the London 2012 Olympics – watching the wheelchair basketball at the Copper Box had an impact on becoming a wheelchair rugby player. And on 3 November, he is likely to be involved for his country versus Australia at that very venue.
“The delay has been paramount for us,” Leeds Rhinos captain Simpson adds. “Last year we played a Test series against France and we weren’t quite where we needed to be.
“We’ve trained really hard, this year has been a lot tougher than usual to make our top players ready for the World Cup.
“We’re ranked No2 in the world behind France but we have beaten France. Between us it’s fine margins and with the home crowd swinging our way we’re in the best possible place to win it.”
Australia, with their globally renowned domestic league, are favourites for the men’s and women’s competitions, both of which culminate in an Old Trafford final double-header.
Rugby league in England has typically revolved around the north with only a small number of teams popping up in the south, but Simpson believes the BBC’s coverage of the tournament – it will show every England wheelchair match on BBC 2 – will grow the sport.
And to those unfamiliar with Simpson’s brutal version of rugby league: it is the same sport but in a wheelchair, where two teams go like the clappers at one another.
“If you’ve never seen it, it is rapid,” adds Simpson, a Reign Total Body Fuel athlete. “It’s dynamic and the players are athletic as well. The chairs are tailored to every player and they fly around.
“There’s massive hits, you get people in metal chairs smash into each other and some fall out of their chairs. But even then they get straight back up because the game is fast – you can’t be laying on the floor. It’s so fun to watch.”