Having already won the Wheelchair Challenge Cup with Halifax Panthers and the Celtic Cup with Ireland, Joe Calcott is enjoying a great year so far, and now has his sights set on World Cup qualification.
HALIFAX and Ireland star Joe Calcott has had the perfect start to the 2025 season.
First in May, his Ireland side went to Cardiff and won the Celtic Cup for the second season in a row, where he was the top try and points scorer in the tournament. Then, with Halifax, playing alongside his brother Jack Brown, he helped them to win the Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final, beating London Roosters 46-22, and after three Super League matches were still unbeaten with two wins and a draw.
The Challenge Cup gave Calcott his first trophy as a Halifax player and the first alongside his brother, who has recently returned to England after a few years with North Queensland Cowboys.
“It was my first trophy with Halifax as a player,” he said. “It was a good performance from everyone because it was spread evenly between the starting side and the bench.
“Everyone managed to get a chance to play. It was a proud moment, not just because it was my first trophy with Halifax, it was good to score a try and fantastic to be alongside my brother now he’s back from Australia. It’s been a good, and proud, start to the season so far.”
Halifax went from the Challenge Cup win to the opening match of Super League a week later, again against London. This match ended in a rare draw, the score being 40-all.
“We definitely let ourselves down in the second London match because we had a good lead at half time, and we knew how resilient London are due to the Challenge Cup,” Calcott says.
“We were all roasting on the pitch that day. It was the hottest I think we’ve ever had it in a sports hall.
“But no excuses. We should have won that.”
Following the draw with London, Halifax beat Hull FC 104-10, quite a turnaround after the two sides drew last year. They then beat Edinburgh 79-4 in the Scottish capital. Over the two games, he scored five tries.
He comments: “Hull are a very physical side and you know they’re very intimidating with the way they defend. Their chair defence has been a really big thing for that team and I think they let themselves down a little bit as well. They could have played a lot better and I think they knew that.
“It’s not a bad start to the season and we’re still undefeated. We want to try be back at the top as it’s been Leeds every season for a while now.
“But now, it’s our best chance with Jack being back in the squad. I think we’ve got one of the best squads in Super League, our depth is so strong, the strongest it’s ever been with multiple England programme players and multiple Irish internationals. This is our best chance to be number one.”
Calcott is one of the two non-disabled players allowed in a Wheelchair Rugby League pitch at one time. He was introduced to Wheelchair RL through his brothers Harry and Jack Brown.
“Wheelchair sports in general have always been in the family,” Calcott said. “With having a Paralympian as one brother and an England wheelchair international as the other brother, it became kind of second nature.
“I got into wheelchair basketball early on at a club called Leeds Spiders with Jack and Harry.
“Harry then went to a club called Sheffield Steelers and both he and Jack were playing wheelchairrugby league for England at the time.
“I don’t know why I never got into rugby at the same time, but then for some reason, as soon as Jack went to Australia, I thought I’d give it a go.
“I kind of found a passion for it and I never went back to wheelchair basketball.”
Whilst his two brothers have played for England, Calcott decided to go for one of their local rivals.
“I have a different dad to my two brothers and his parents have Irish heritage,” he said.
“Getting involved in Ireland was the best thing I’ve ever done because I’m part of such a great group of players.
“I was actually really quite nervous coming into the Celtic Cup this year. I wasn’t nervous of doubting our abilities. After all that was put in from all the Ireland players, I didn’t want them to be let down after the tournament. But in the last 10 minutes of the Wales game, when Phil brought me off, we knew the job was done and dusted.
“I was getting a bit emotional. I was very, very proud of everyone.”
Player of the tournament Calcott scored nine tries and kicked five goals over the two games, leading Ireland to the two biggest victory margins in their history when they overcame Scotland 92-20 then Wales 66-10. His personal tally took him up to seventh highest try and points scorer in the history of the Celtic Cup on 17 tries and 84 points.
With six sides already into next year’s Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, Calcott is hoping Ireland will be one of the remaining two.
“I think we’ve got the best chance out of all the teams who haven’t qualified yet, especially because of our success and World Ranking,” he said.
“We’re building domestically and trying to promote the sport and I think we’re number one in that aspect between us, Scotland and Spain, and that’s something the organisers will be looking at.
“It’s not 100 per cent there yet, but we’re very, very, very confident.”
Calcott also knows that thanks to the new domestic sides in Ireland, competition to get into the squad for next year will be fierce.
“Now there’s so many young players over in Ireland who want to get involved in the sport and coming to training sessions, it was a struggle picking a team for the Celtic Cup, but I’m going to the World Cup next year no matter what.
“I’m fighting for that spot and I’m going to get it.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 511 (August 2025)