

Halifax Wheelchair Rugby League Club
part of the Halifax Rugby League family
One of the most eye-catching and awe-inspiring sports on the planet takes centre stage at York Sport Centre this Sunday (26 May). England Wheelchair Rugby League presents ‘The Future of England’, with the best of the nation’
emerging talent set to face off at The Arena, York Sport Centre, on Sunday afternoon (KO 2.45pm).
It’s the highlight of an action-packed event for all the family, which also includes a free-to-enter Youth Wheelchair RL festival at 10am, and a main event curtain-raiser between York RLFC and Bradford Bulls at 12.45pm.
England Wheelchair Rugby League Head Coach, Tom Coyd, is in the process of unearthing the next generation of talent to take on the world and has selected the following teams.
Green Team
Adam Rigby, Wigan Warriors
Chris Haynes, Sheffield Eagles
Freya Levy, London Roosters
Jason Owen, London Roosters
Keiron Johnson, Halifax Panthers
Nathan Holmes, Halifax Panthers
Ted Fields, Woodlands Warrios
Tristan Norfolk, Hull FC
Yellow Team
Ewan Clibbens, Leeds Rhinos
Jack Heggie, Wigan Warriors
Josh Edwards, Hull FC
Martin Lane, Wigan Warriors
Mason Billington, London Roosters
Nathaniel Wright, Halifax Panthers
Stephen Reilly, Sheffield Eagles
Tom Martin, Halifax Panthers
Tom Coyd says:
“We’ve run a number of development sessions for England’s emerging talent – now it’s time for the players chosen to exhibit what they’ve learned and to showcase their undoubted talent with National Performance Squad places up for grabs.
“I want to give these guys a chance to play in a fantastic facility, with plenty of people watching, to see how they perform at the next level, under scrutiny and in pressure situations when judgement is everything. Because that’s what elite sport is.
“And there’s more to the day than England Wheelchair. Players aged 15 and under have been invited to take part in the morning’s youth festival and York will be taking on the Bradford Bulls in a curtain- raiser, so there’s plenty for all the family to enjoy.”
Tickets for this Bank Holiday Weekend bonanza are available online now, priced from just £3 (concessions) and £5 (adults) at tickettailor.com/events/yorksport1.
There is free admission for carers attending with a person with additional needs.
Halifax Panthers rugby league wheelchair team to show its support for Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting military children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, following the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity, which was set up in 2010, provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood. Scotty’s provides its members with access to bereavement support, outstanding development opportunities and the chance to smile again.
Halifax panther’s wheelchair team will display Scotty’s little soldier’s logo on their sleeves, to show their support to the 670+ children that Scotty’s helps, including family members of the Halifax team and Halifax lad Jack Rigby. Jack is the son of Fusilier Lee Rigby and he has been supported by Scotty’s Little Soldiers since 2013. Last year, he took on Scotty’s May Marathon to raise funds for Scotty’s. One Scotty’s March later, and a Pride of Britain Award, he ended up raising over £100,000!
Halifax Panthers Rugby League wheelchair team said “ it will be an honour to have the Scotty’s little soldier’s logo on our sleeve not just for Jack, but also for the 670+ children that are involved with Scotty’s. We would like to openly invite any members of the Scotty’s family to one of our games in the near future.
Halifax Panthers Rugby League wheelchair team, kick off their season with a home game against their fierce rivals the Leeds Rhinos, on 16th June 2024.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers Founder, Nikki Scott, added: “Thank you so much to Halifax Panthers Rugby League wheelchair team for supporting Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Helping to raise awareness and funds enables us to continue to provide much needed support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a military parent.”
It’s fair to say that Halifax Panthers Wheelchair Rugby League is first and foremost a community club, run by local volunteers, played by people from the local area and open to everyone.
If anyone would like to show their support for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, please visit their website at www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk, or come down and see us where you can donate directly!
Halifax Panthers Rugby League wheelchair team, kick off their season with a home game against their fierce rivals the Leeds Rhinos, on 16th June 2024. followed by.
London away 30th June
Hull 14th July 2024
Wigan away weekend of 20th/21st July
Leeds away 10th August 2024
London 18th August 2024
Hull away weekend of 31st Aug/1st sept
Wigan 15th Sept 2024
All home games are played at Sedbergh Sports centre Odsal Bradford, with 2 games being played on the same day, the Super league team and the reserve team playing. KO 12pm and 3pm. Wheelchair rugby is the most inclusive sport, with women and men, young and old, disabled and non-disabled players playing together.”
Halifax Panthers Wheelchair Rugby League Club is an integral part of the Halifax Rugby League family. As well as being one of wheelchair sport’s most successful teams, the club also has close links with the community in Calderdale.
For the first team, the last ten years have seen a number of successes, including a league championship, three wins in Grand Finals, three Challenge Cup victories and a European Championship. Twice they have done the Grand-final, Challenge Cup double.
Halifax Panthers Wheelchair Rugby League Club’s roots go back to 2005, when the club was set up. With strong ties to the Calderdale Community Coaching Trust (CCCT), as well as its first team responsibilities, the club acts as an inspirational vehicle for disability sport and disability awareness in the area.
Sheffield Eagles will partner the Rugby Football League in hosting the first Women’s Wheelchair Rugby League Festival on Saturday 11th May.
The event will take place at Concord Leisure Centre in Sheffield, 1pm to 3pm, arrivals from 12.30pm.
The first hour of the event will see England Head Coach Tom Coyd MBE lead a carousel of coaching stations before the second hour will see game play opportunities for all taking part.
The event is free and is open to both women who would like to try Wheelchair Rugby League for the first time or who already have experience.
“Ahead of the 2023 Betfred Challenge Cup Final we hosted a small women’s only Wheelchair Rugby League taster event” explained Martin Coyd OBE, England Wheelchair RL General Manager. “The interest was huge and whilst plenty of the women taking part said they loved playing in the mixed environment with men, they also said that they liked their own space and we should look at staging more women’s only events. The event on 11th May is in response to that – it will be the first of some new and exciting women’s only activity which we plan will take place at all levels of the pathway.”
To sign up, simply email jack.pemberton@eaglesfoundation.co.uk and provide your name, email, a mobile number and whether or not you will be brining your own sports wheelchair no later than Thursday 9th May. Further details will be sent to you in due course.

Halifax Panthers Wheelchair RL Squad 2024 – Names from the back left…
Tom Green, Jordan Holt, Keiron Johnson, Finley O’Neill, Jack Stockton, Wayne Boardman ( centre ) , Rob Hawkins, Nathaniel Wright, Tom Martin, Nathan Holmes and Joseph Calcott.
One of our newer players, Nathaniel Wright, who lives in Bradford, has been nominated for the category of Young Disability Sportsman in the 2024 Bradford Sports Awards.
Full details and the list of nominees can be found on the Active Bradford website.