Coyd family lead England into Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final
Tom Coyd, England wheelchair rugby league head coach since 2020, is managing his younger brother Joe as England prepare to face France in the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final in Wollongong, Australia on Friday (08:45 GMT). The family pairing were part of the England side that won the World Cup four years ago.
"It's the hardest thing that I've ever done from a work perspective," Tom Coyd said, "but also the most rewarding" as he described the challenge of coaching his brother. Joe was part of the England set-up before his older brother, playing at the 2013 World Cup as a 15-year-old, and is taking part in his fourth tournament. "I know I'm in a very lucky and privileged place to to be able to do the things that we get to do alongside my family," Joe said. "When we don't get it right, it's just because we care, and we've probably got that familiarity with each other, where sometimes we're probably a bit shorter with each other."
Joe has scored in every England game at this tournament as they beat Wales, the USA, Ireland and Australia. He is on the eight-strong shortlist in the wheelchair category for the International Rugby League (IRL) Golden Boot award. Joe features as one of England's non-disabled players — two of whom are allowed per five-strong team on court at any one time under wheelchair rugby league rules.
Wheelchair rugby league runs through the Coyd family: father Martin was an England international, played a significant role in the sport's development, and is now the team's general manager as well as a member of the Rugby Football League board. "He's been out here busy fulfilling his responsibilities as a RFL board member," Tom said. "But he's been doing that alongside getting oily and repairing wheelchair parts and getting his hands dirty. So he's been in the thick of it and he wouldn't have it any other way. "I think all of the kind of peaks and troughs that come with competition, he tends to ride those waves very steadily. "And as someone who's been at the head of the team for over a decade, he sets the standard and drives the culture. He does a good job for us." Martin Coyd, centre, saw Tom win English rugby league's coach of the year award in 2025, and Joe receive the Wheels of Steel award for the player of the year.
Friday's match will be the fourth successive Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final to be contested between England and France. The previous three finals have all been tight — France triumphed 42-40 in Gillingham in 2013, and 38-34 in Perpignan in 2017, before England clinched a dramatic 28-24 win in Manchester four years ago. "That's World Cup and Test match football, isn't it?" Joe said. "And France have been one of the leaders of the game internationally since it began. Every time we play them it's a great contest."
France have also won all four of their matches on the way to the final, defeating Scotland, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland. Their most experienced player is captain Gilles Clausells, a scorer in the 82-26 semi-final win over Ireland at the age of 63, and still playing despite having vowed to retire after each of the past two World Cups. "We know how hungry they are and we know how hungry we are," Joe said. "So I've got no doubt it's going to be an amazing clash on Friday. And both teams will be up for it."
Joe Coyd and his England team-mate Rob Hawkins both made the shortlist in the wheelchair category for the IRL Golden Boot award. "I'm so proud of Rob and Joe for being acknowledged, and they've spoken about how it's their team-mates that have got them there, as you'd expect," Tom said. "They're humble characters and that's what got them in this position. But yeah, I think they've both had fantastic tournaments and they've worked incredibly hard." Australia full-back Reece Walsh and his New Zealand counterpart Kalyn Ponga are both in contention for the men's award. New Zealand centre Stacey Waaka — scorer of a hat-trick in their 32-0 semi-final win over Samoa — is up for the women's award. Other contenders include Australia winger Abbi Church, who replaced the injured Julia Robinson to score four times in their 30-14 semi-final win over Fiji. The winners of all three awards will be announced in Brisbane on Thursday.
Group A, match one - Friday, 30 October: England 98-18 Wales
Group A, match two - Tuesday, 3 November: England 134-0 USA
Group A, match three - Friday, 6 November: England 68-32 Ireland
Semi-final - Tuesday, 10 November: England 86-18 Australia
England will meet France in the World Cup final in Wollongong, Australia at 08:45 GMT on Friday.