JACK BROWN will return to England to play in their upcoming wheelchair international with France.
Brown won the inaugural Wheelchair Golden Boot in 2020 and played a key role in England’s World Cup success on home soil last year.
The former Halifax player is now based in Australia and coaches the Queensland team in the wheelchair State of Origin.
But Brown will fly back to England to earn his 33rd cap in their World Cup Final reunion with France at Leeds’ First Direct Arena on Sunday, November 5, albeit he won’t arrive in time for their training camp at St George’s Park, the England football centre, this weekend (October 28-29).
England head coach Tom Coyd has named a twelve-player squad for the camp, which includes nine of their World Cup winners.
The only uncapped player in contention for the France clash is Halifax’s Tom Martin, while Josh Butler and Jack Heggie have been recalled to the squad after impressive seasons with Super League Grand Finalists Leeds and Wigan respectively.
The group will be trimmed to nine in the week leading up to the match, with new international rules limiting teams to using eight players in a game, reduced from ten at the World Cup.
Coach Coyd said his squad selection was far from easy: “It’s a reflection of the competition for places we now have as the sport continues to thrive following the exposure of last year’s World Cup.
“Having a rematch against France is the perfect stage to maintain that momentum, especially at such an impressive venue, and we are delighted to have arranged a training camp at St George’s Park as we finalise our preparations.
“It has a real wow factor, both in terms of the quality of the facilities but also the prestige of the venue and the success of the teams associated with it.”
England squad: Seb Bechara (Catalans), Wayne Boardman (Halifax), Jack Brown (North Queensland), Josh Butler (Leeds), Nathan Collins (Leeds), Joe Coyd (London), Tom Halliwell (Leeds), Rob Hawkins (Halifax), Jack Heggie (Wigan), Lewis King (London), Tom Martin (Halifax), Adam Rigby (Wigan).
