England has cemented its place in wheelchair rugby league history by clinching a third World Cup title with a thrilling 50-38 win over France in Wollongong, Australia. The victory, which avenges their 2022 final loss, was built on a four-year plan masterminded by head coach Tom Coyd, who instilled an aggressive, attacking mindset in his squad.
A Plan Four Years in the Making
Since lifting the trophy in Manchester in 2022, Coyd has deliberately avoided the word 'defend'. Instead, he challenged his players to adopt a hunter's mentality. The team visualised their journey to the final with a ladder in team meetings, spray-painting a rung gold after each win. They also drew inspiration from sharks, aiming to smell blood in the water when attacking.
'I think your reality is the story that you tell yourself,' Coyd explained. 'We wanted to prime the group to be forward thinking, to attack the attack when we didn't have the ball, and when we did have the ball, to be a shark smelling blood in the water.'
That approach paid dividends throughout the tournament. England amassed 386 points in the group stage and semi-finals while conceding just 68. In the final, they raced to a 10-0 lead before France fought back to lead 22-10. But England, showing composure and resilience, regained control before half-time with tries from Rob Hawkins and Jack Brown.
Leadership and Belief
Captain Lewis King's presence was pivotal. 'Lewis' presence is everything for this team,' Coyd said. 'He always finds the right words at the right time. The steadiness and composure that Lewis just lives and breathes so innately - the boys feed off of it.'
Joe Coyd, the coach's younger brother, who scored four tries in the final, added: 'We don't need a massive rousing speech. We've got such confidence in each other and we challenge each other in such a good, positive way.'
Jack Brown, playing in his fifth World Cup and earning his third winner's medal, echoed that sentiment: 'I don't think the team missed that because we saw it as a confidence in the team. We knew what we had to do and we knew that we had so many leaders.'
England's victory makes them the first nation to win the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup three times. The win also extends England's dominance over France, having now beaten their rivals in three consecutive World Cup finals.
