ENGLAND ace Rob Hawkins has completed a hat-trick of IRL Wheelchair Golden Boots after winning the coveted award for the third consecutive year.
Last year, the Halifax Panthers star became the first player in any form of the sport to win back-to-back Golden Boots, and the newly-crowned Wheels of Steel has now added another trophy to the cabinet.
He is only the second player in Rugby League history, after Australia great Johnathan Thurston, to win the Golden Boot on three occasions.
Hawkins, who has so far scored 19 tries at this year’s World Cup – including five in the semi-final thrashing of Australia earlier this week – will hope to cap a stellar year by helping England retain the Wheelchair World Cup when they take on France in the decider on Friday.
Teammate Joe Coyd, France trio Jeremy Bourson, Nicolas Clausells and Dany Denuwelaere, Ireland captain Joe Calcott and Australia pair Bayley McKenna and Adam Tannock were also nominated for the award.
Meanwhile, the Men’s and Women’s awards were won by New Zealand’s Kalyn Ponga and Stacey Waaka.
Fullback Ponga played a starring role as the Kiwis saw off Tonga to reach Sunday’s men’s World Cup final against Australia, having returning from a broken arm suffered earlier in the tournament, whilst Waaka snared a hat-trick in New Zealand’s semi-final win over Samoa in the women’s tournament.
