Wheelchair rugby league really is a sport for everyone, and as the new season gets ready to roll, Sheffield Eagles are a shining example of that, writes IAN GOLDEN.
THE domestic season is almost upon us. All that hard work during pre-season will start to come to fruition as the RFL leagues kick-off in April, starting with the European Club Championship on Saturday, 6th April at Robin Park Arena where Wigan Warriors will host Catalans Dragons.
The Warriors will be looking to add this to their Super League crown that they won in dramatic fashion last autumn after they beat Leeds Rhinos in the final.
This year’s Super League doesn’t start until June. It’ll be a five-team competition in 2024 with Halifax Panthers, Hull FC and London Roosters also competing. The fixtures were printed in the 4th March edition of Rugby League Express and the new eight-games per side format is a great concept. Having an odd number of teams means one club always gets a week off, which is welcome in this version of rugby league where there are no professional sides.
Warrington Wolves, who were bottom of Super League last year after failing to win a game, were relegated to a 15-team Championship that’s been split into three regional conferences with the same format as Super League. Underneath that, there are a number of other sides who have chosen not to go into a competitive league and will organise their own friendly matches. All sides are of course welcome to enter the Challenge Cup qualifiers, which have an interesting format this year.
On Sunday, 14th April at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester, a number of the lower league sides will be competing for the “Challenge Trophy” where not only do one of the finalists get to lift some silverware, but both get to qualify for the eight-team knockout Challenge Cup that will also contain the five Super League sides plus Catalans.
One club who have been preparing for the Challenge Trophy in earnest are Sheffield Eagles, who have an additional goal to cause a few shocks as the Challenge Cup Final will be at their own city at the English Institute of Sport on Saturday, 1st June.
Losing finalists in last year’s Trophy final, where they were proudly supported by over 250 of their own fans, they aim to go one better this year and have been working hard in recruiting new players and have even introduced junior sessions to help bring the youngsters into the game early.
They opened their season in late January with a pre-season friendly win over Hull KR and amongst their large squad that day were three family members, all of whom got themselves on the scoresheet. Will Brooks scored a hat-trick of tries, completing his personal account in the first 13 minutes of the game, whilst his mum Vicky Brooks actually set up her daughter (and Will’s sister) April Brooks for the first of her three tries. Vicky finally got herself over the line on 53 minutes.
A team with families are not uncommon in wheelchair rugby league. We’ve had plenty of father and son combinations, as well as both a mother and daughter combination, plus married or life couples, such is the beauty of this sport.
Vicky, a player for Sheffield Eagles women in the running game a couple of decades ago, explains why she’s now enjoying the wheelchair version of rugby league.
“It’s just a brilliant sport to play,” she says. “It’s a great version of rugby league for everyone and inclusive for all. Even better that I can play on the same team as my two children. That is sometimes challenging as they don’t like me telling them what to do, however I feel, incredibly proud that we get the opportunity to play as a family.”
Sheffield Eagles’ wheelchair team started in 2021. It was officially launched at the England v Wales mid-season international match in Sheffield, thanks to funding from #CreatedBY for Chairs. They played their first ever game in November 2021, which was a 42-8 loss against Rochdale Hornets.
Vicky and Will played in that very first game, with April making her debut in the Eagles’ second match the following year.
“With the help of Andrea Dobson, I was encouraged to bring my son along to the first Eagles wheelchair session as he has a lower limb disability,” Vicky continues. “I had no intention of joining in, I took my son along to that first session along with my daughter who is neurodivergent. We all had a go, and we were hooked. I can no longer play the running game due to a diagnosis of arthritis in my knee.”
In Sheffield’s first full season, they played 19 games. After losing the first 18, they fought out a 46-all draw with Wigan Warriors A. By this time 23 players had played for the team. In 2023, they launched a reserve side and between them played 39 first team games and six “A” grade. They finally starting winning and now have over 20 adults and over 10 juniors training every week.
However, it won’t be easy for them in their Cup run. Not only will they have to get past strong Championship opposition, if they win the Challenge Trophy, they face Leeds Rhinos in the quarter-finals, or a trip to London Roosters if they’re Trophy runners-up. But that doesn’t dampen Vicky’s or Sheffield’s enthusiasm one little bit.
“We’re all now looking forward to the Challenge Trophy,” Vicky comments. “We did exceptionally well last year and got to the final of the Challenge Trophy. We’re improving year on year and we’d love to get there again. It’s going to be a tough competition this year but we’re up for the challenge.
“I would absolutely love to see April and Will continue to develop in the sport. I don’t think I’ve got many playing years in me, but I would still like to be involved in some way at the club. I’ve been a Sheffield Eagles supporter from their origins. Once an Eagle always an Eagle!”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 495 (April 2024)
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