England secured their third Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup title on Friday, overcoming France 50-38 in a pulsating final held at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre in Australia. The victory marks the first time any nation has won the tournament on three occasions.
England led 28-22 at the interval following a frantic first half. Despite an early lead established by Joe Coyd, France responded with four consecutive tries to move 22-10 ahead before England regained control through a late surge of scoring before the break.
Joe Coyd finished the match with four tries, while Jack Brown contributed a hat-trick to the winning effort. Rob Hawkins, who recently secured his third consecutive Golden Boot award, also crossed for two tries during the contest.
France remained competitive throughout the match, with Dany Denuwelaere scoring three tries. Jeremy Bourson, Leo Hivernat, Damien Dore, and Florian Guttadoro also registered scores for the French side, but they were unable to halt England's second-half momentum.
The match was defined by intense physical collisions and technical skill, with both teams forced to manage equipment repairs during the encounter. England's victory serves as a significant achievement for the squad, following the group-stage exits of the men's and women's teams.
The result continues a long-standing rivalry between the two nations, who have now contested four consecutive World Cup finals. England previously defeated France 28-24 in the 2022 final held in Manchester to claim the trophy.
Brief scores: England 50 (Coyd 4, Hawkins 2, Brown 3; Goals: Hawkins, Collins 6) beat France 38 (Bourson, L Hivernat, Dore, Guttadoro, Denuwelaere 3; Goals: L Hivernat 3, N Clausells 2) by 12 points.
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