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Wheelchair rugby league Ashes

The Ashes
Tournament information
SportWheelchair rugby league
Established2019
Participants
Upcoming Tournament: 2025 Ashes Series →

The Wheelchair rugby league Ashes, similar to the cricket series and rugby league series of the same name, is a series of senior international matches between Australia and England national wheelchair rugby league football teams.

The inaugural tournament took place in 2019 when the England team toured Australia for the first time.

History

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Origins

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Wheelchair rugby league was established in France in 2000 and was introduced to Australia in 2004 when a French team travelled to Sydney, and then to Great Britain in 2005 with a similar tour to Yorkshire. On 4 May 2006, wheelchair rugby league was given official recognition by the Rugby League International Federation; following this a team representing Great Britain began a tour of France which included the first official wheelchair rugby league test match on 3 June 2006.[1] In 2007, following the All Golds tour, the Great Britain team was abolished in favour separate home nations teams compete in all future competitions,[2] which saw an England team take part in the inaugural Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, which was played as part of the 2008 Festival of World Cups. The 2008 World Cup, saw the first test match between England and Australia on 7 November 2008 with England winning the match 34–26.[3] The pair later met in the final of the competition, and again in the 2013 and 2017 tournament, before the inaugural Wheelchair Rugby League Ashes was contested in 2019.[4][5]

The Ashes

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In June 2019, the RFL announced provisional plans for the England wheelchair team to tour Australia in October 2019. Initially the five-match tour was to include a three-game Ashes series and games against Queensland and New South Wales, but by September it had been revised to a two-match series with a match against North Queensland added to the schedule.[6][7] England were undefeated on the tour and won the Ashes series 2–0.[8][9] A Wheelaroo Tour[a] of England in October 2020 was planned. This was later switched to an England tour of Australia, but ultimately did not take place.[10][11]

In December 2024, an England wheelchair tour of Australia was announced for October 2025, with the schedule of the four-match tour (including the two-match Ashes series) being confirmed in May 2025.[12][13] The tour dates coincide with the 2025 Kangaroo tour of England and France which includes a men's Ashes series.[14][b]

Results

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Year Winner Result Runners-up Host country Ref
2019  England 2–0  Australia Australia [8]
2025 – Australia

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The wheelchair rugby league equivalent of a Kangaroo Tour
  2. ^ Although the men's tour was originally scheduled to take place in Australia, it was confirmed that the tour would move to England before the wheelchair tour was announced.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Major stages and big events". Rugby XIII Fauteuil. Archived from the original on 13 November 2008.
  2. ^ "England to take pride of place over Britain". The Guardian. 3 December 2005. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007.
  3. ^ "England Wheelchair team beat Australia in World Cup". Rugby League European Federation. 7 November 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Story of the 2008 World Cup". RLWC2001. 13 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Wheelchair World Cup". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Twin challenge awaits Wheelchair Rugby League team". RFL. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  7. ^ "England Wheelchair Squads Named". RFL. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  8. ^ a b "England Wheelchair win Ashes series against Australia". Asia Pacific Rugby League. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Coyd and Sinfield praise England Wheelchair's five-star tour". RFL. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Golden Boot to be presented at first UK Wheelchair Rugby League Awards ceremony". RFL. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  11. ^ "Australia to host England for wheelchair rugby league test series". NRL Wheelchair. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Australia to host England in Wheelchair Ashes series". NRL. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  13. ^ "England wheelchair RL's Ashes tour set for autumn". BBC Sport. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  14. ^ "Kangaroos to return to England for ABK Beer Ashes Series". RFL. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Kangaroos set for three-Test series in England in 2025". BBC Sport. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2025.