2017 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup

On 19 February 2014, it was announced that the joint bid from Australia and New Zealand had won hosting rights for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup to be held in November 2017.^[1] As with previous tournaments the Festival of World Cups served as part of the build-up to the main competition and was expected to include the wheelchair competition.^[2][3] In May 2016, the World Cup organising committee raised concerns over financial support for the festival,^[4] but by September the England team still anticipated that the wheelchair event would take place in Sydney, Australia.^[5] All the teams were European apart from the hosts and holding the tournament in Australia came to be considered financially unviable.^[6] In November 2016, the RLIF announced that the wheelchair tournament would be held in France in order to maximise the number of teams taking part.^[7] The cost of travel was an issue for participating nations and in the Welsh Parliament it was noted that Wales were dependent on sponsorship and donations in order to take part.^[4][8] In March 2017, the Australian team received A$50,000 from the NRL towards their transport costs.^[9]

In April 2017, the French Rugby League Federation announced that the tournament would take place between 20 July and 28 July with the final being played at the Parc des Expositions in Perpignan.^[10]

Albi

Carcassonne

Limoux

Pamiers

Perpignan

Saint-Jory

Saint-Orens

Toulouse

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World Cup venues in the Occitania region in southern France

The venues for the tournament were all in the Occitania region in southern France:^[11]

• Limoux - Gymnase L'Olympie (pre-tournament)
• Albi – Gymnase du Cosec
• Carcassonne – Halle aux Sport
• Pamiers – Complexe La Rijole
• Perpignan – Parc des Expositions (final)
• Saint-Jory – Gymnase du Lac
• Saint-Orens – Gymnase du Cosec
• Toulouse – Gymnase Compans Cafferlli

The seven teams that took part in the tournament were the four semi-finalists from 2013 (Australia, England, France and Wales) who were placed in Group A and Italy, Scotland and Spain in Group B.^[12] Ireland had also intended to take part.^[13] Each nation was allowed to name up to 12 players in their squad for the tournament.^[14]

 Australia^[9]

• Peter Arbuckle (QLD)
• Jason Attard (NSW)
• Davin Bretherton (QLD)
• Craig Cannane (NSW)
• Fabian Castillo (NSW)
• William Derederenalagi (NSW)
• Brad Grove (NSW)
• Brett Henman (NSW)
• Diab Karim (NSW)
• Stephan Rochecouste (NSW)
• Yara Ryan (NSW)
• Mitchel Stone (NSW)

 England^[15]

• Adam Barnett (Medway Dragons)
• Sebastian Bechara (Catalan Dragons)
• Jodie Boyd-Ward (Leeds Rhinos)
• Wayne Boardman (Halifax)
• Harry Brown (Halifax)
• Jack Brown (Halifax)
• Nathan Collins (Leeds Rhinos)
• Joe Coyd (Medway Dragons)
• Tom Halliwell (Leeds Rhinos)
• Martin Lane (Medway Dragons)
• Ryan Richardson (Leeds Rhinos)
• James Simpson (Leeds Rhinos)

 France^[14][16][17]

• Mouss Abbassi (Toulouse-St Jory)
• Lionel Alazard (Toulouse-St Jory)
• Gilles Clausells (Catalans Dragons)
• Nicolas Clausells (Catalans Dragons)
• Dany Denuwelaere (Toulouse-St Jory)
• Laurent Despues (Catalans Dragons)
• Mickaël Gaune (Roanne Bisons)
• Guillaume Mautz (SO Avignon)
• Kevin Pastor (SO Avignon)
• Michel Penella (Aingirak Euskadi)
• Fabien Plaza (Toulouse-St Jory)
• Cyril Torres (Toulouse-St Jory)

 Wales^[18]

• Alan Caron (North Wales Crusaders)
• Claire Cranston (North Wales Crusaders)
• John Doyle (North Wales Crusaders)
• Andrew Higgins (North Wales Crusaders)
• Harry Jones (North Wales Crusaders)
• Gary Preece (Hereford Harriers)
• Gary Taylor (North Wales Crusaders)
• Mark Williams (North Wales Crusaders)
• Stuart Williams (North Wales Crusaders)

 Italy^[19]

• Quentin Barat (Oyonnax)
• Laurent Blacszack-Ferrari (Carcassonne)
• Pascal Guigou (Apt)
• Florian Guttadoro (SO Avignon)
• Julien Penella (Anglet)
• Marc Verdi (SO Avignon)

 Scotland^[18]

• Jay Anderson (Dundee Dragons)
• David Birtles (Dundee Dragons)
• Connor Blackmore (Strathmore Silverbacks)
• Gavin Dobson (Halifax)
• Michael Mellon (Dundee Dragons)
• Ronnie Robb (Dundee Dragons)
• Graeme Stewart (Dundee Dragons)

 Spain^[19]

• Théo Gonzalez (Roanne Bisons)
• Angelo Hernandez (Oyonnax)
• Joël Lacombe (Catalans Dragons)
• Raphaël Monedero (Catalans Dragons)

Two pre-tournament matches took place on 18 July at the Gymnase L'Olympie, Limoux.^[11]

18 July 2017

Italy	32–30	Spain

Gymnase L'Olympie, Limoux[19]

18 July 2017

France	70–16	Australia

Gymnase L'Olympie, Limoux[19]

In the knockout stage the top two teams in Group A qualified for the semi-finals. The other semi-finalists were determined by play-offs between the remaining Group A teams and the top two teams in Group B.

The group play-offs were held on 25 July at the Gymnase du Cosec, Albi.^[11]

25 July 2017

Australia	49–40	Spain

Gymnase du Cosec, Albi[20]

25 July 2017

Italy	105–24	Wales
Tries: ? Goals: ? Drop goals: ?	Report	Tries: Caron Cranston Higgins S Williams Preece Goals: Higgins (2)

Gymnase du Cosec, Albi

Both semi-finals were played on 26 July at the Gymnase Compans Cafferlli, Toulouse.^[11]

25 July 2017

England	76–36	Australia
Tries: Collins (2) J Brown (6) Lane Coyd (2) Bechara (2) Goals: Collins (2) Boardman (10) J Brown	Report	Tries: ? Goals: ?

Gymnase Compans Cafferlli, Toulouse

25 July 2017

France	98–6	Italy
Tries: Torres (2) G Clausells (2) Denawulaere (2) Penella N Clausells (3) Abassi (3) Despues (2) Gaune (2) Goals: Torres (9) Guane (6)	Report	Tries: Caparossito Goals: ?

Gymnase Compans Cafferlli, Toulouse

The matches to decide 3rd to 6th placed teams were played on 27 July at the Gymnase du Cosec, Saint-Orens.^[11]

5th/6th play-off

27 July 2017

Wales	66–45	Spain
Tries: Caron (2) Cranston (2) Higgins (2) S Williams (4) Preece (2) Goals: Higgins (9)	Report	Tries: ? Goals: ? Drop goals: ?

Gymnase du Cosec, St-Orens

3rd/4th play-off

27 July 2017

Australia	58–45	Italy
	Report

Gymnase du Cosec, St-Orens

The final was played on 28 July at the Parc des Expositions in Perpignan.^[11]

Final

28 July 2017

France	38–34	England
Tries: N. Clausells (3) 25', 72', 76' Denuwelaere (2) 33', 51' Plaza (2) 53', 55' Goals: Plaza (3) Torres (2)	Report	Tries: Bechara 6' J. Brown (3) 41', 44', 61' Boardman 59' Goals: Boardman (7)

Parc des Expositions, Perpignan Attendance: 2,500

Final tournament rankings:^[21]

1. France
2.  England
3.  Australia
4. Italy
5.  Wales
6. Spain
7.  Scotland

At the end of the tournament the top 10 players were selected: Gilles Clausells was named as the Best Player of the World Cup.^[21][22]

1. Gilles Clausells – France
2. William Derederenalagi – Australia
3. Dany Denulawere – France
4. Mickael Gaunes – France
5. Oscar Ourubia – Spain
6. Jack Brown – England
7. Nathan Collins – England
8. Lionel Alazard – France
9. Sebastien Becharra – England
10. Adam Howard – Italy

Confronted with limited media coverage of the tournament the French Rugby League Federation created a YouTube channel through which matches were broadcast.^[23][24]