England Defeats France to Secure Third Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Title

England has secured its third Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup championship following a 50-38 victory over France in Wollongong. A pivotal moment in the match came just before half-time when Jack Brown fielded a kick from Rob Hawkins after rolling half the length of the pitch to score a key try, giving England a lead it largely maintained throughout the second half.

Competitive Final Match

The contest began with England taking an early 10-0 advantage within the opening ten minutes. France responded as Leo Hivernat scored a try and delivered a no-look pass to set up Damien Dore. Tensions rose during the first period following an altercation sparked when England's Mason Billington pushed Hivernat to the ground.

After a series of French points, England restored parity when Hawkins scored in the right corner before assisting Brown's late first-half effort. In the second half, France's Dany Denuwelaer registered a hat-trick, but England pulled away behind a four-try performance from Joe Coyd and two additional tries from Brown to seal his treble. Between them, England and France have now won all five World Cup titles held to date.

Australia Claims Third Place

In the earlier third-place play-off match, host nation Australia earned a 70-24 victory against Ireland. Coming off an 86-18 semifinal defeat to England, the Australian side opened with a 16-0 lead within seven minutes following an early try by Cory Cannane and two quick tries from Toby Popple.

Ireland's Cian Horgan scored shortly after, representing Ireland's sole first-half try. Australia took a 36-point advantage into the break, aided by captain Bayley McKenna coming off the bench to score. Ireland's Oran Spain, who played following a heavy first-half fall, added a try after the interval. However, Australia retained control as McKenna and Daniel Anstey each completed hat-tricks, securing Australia's equal second-best finish in tournament history.