England will play Australia at 08:45 GMT on Tuesday in the semi-final of the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup in Wollongong. England are defending champions, with the aim of becoming the first nation to lift the trophy three times.
A key figure in that squad is Rob Hawkins, the 25-year-old winger who plays for England and Halifax Panthers. Hawkins was a major presence in the team that triumphed in Manchester four years ago. Off the pitch, Hawkins has also had to battle chronic fatigue syndrome.
Hawkins only took up rugby in 2014, after being bedridden for 18 months. Before his illness, he was very sporty and athletic — he ran, played football, and had started getting into other sports like rugby. He saw a television segment about wheelchair basketball and tried to find what he considered Halifax’s wheelchair basketball team. When he arrived at the training session, it turned out to be wheelchair rugby. Hawkins got into the wheelchair roughly 20 minutes before his body would likely have stopped allowing him to continue.
His condition previously meant he had to use a walker or rely on family members just to get to the toilet. As a result, he missed two years of secondary school. Despite all this, Hawkins won the IRL Golden Boot award in 2024 and 2025 after being selected as the best international wheelchair player. He is currently also the reigning winner of the Super League Wheels of Steel award, which is given to the best player in the competition.
England were convincing in Group A: after a 98-18 win over Wales, they beat the USA 134-0, and then triumphed over Ireland 68-32, finishing top of the group. Australia secured convincing wins over New Zealand and Scotland, but their momentum was halted by a 69-34 defeat to France. France were runners-up four years ago, and England were close against France in the 2025 Ashes.
In other matches, Paul Williams scored five tries as Wales easily beat New Zealand 64-36 to qualify for the fifth-place final. Captain Jodie Boyd-Ward became the first player in the history of the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup to reach 50 appearances, with two tries of her own. Wales will play Scotland in Wollongong on Thursday in their final match.
