THE 2025 Wales Wheelchair season will start on Sunday with the championship, which will be resolved in early November, well and truly up for grabs.
The top two sides in the regular season will qualify for the grand final while the Cwpan Sialans Cadair Olwyn – the cup final for the top two Welsh sides in the competition – will be played in late October.
Four sides will be contention when the third campaign launches at the Fitzone at the University of South Wales in Treforest, none of whom have previously lifted the title.
The quartet are Cardiff Blue Dragons, North Wales Crusaders and Torfaen Tigers, plus English outfit Swindon St George.
Reigning champions Argonauts, of Kent (who enjoyed a 100 percent winning record in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons) have opted not to take part this time, as have fellow English side Hereford Harriers.
Regular league games will continue through the spring and summer, after this week’s programme, on a double-header basis, with each side to act twice as hosts.
Cardiff will meet the Crusaders (who are fielding one, rather than two, teams this year) at noon on Sunday, with Swindon versus Torfaen following immediately.
Wales media manager Ian Golden said: “Crusaders will potentially have two current and two former Wales internationals in their side, but only one current Wales squad member or Super League player can be on the court for each team at one time in games in this league, as the focus is on player development.
“While there is a father-and-son combination of Matthew and Martin Turner in the Crusaders squad, Cardiff go a few steps further with a number of family combinations.
“Sian Morris-Parker and her husband Mathew could line up alongside their nephew Tomos Parker, the latter two part of three close-season signings from Torfaen Tigers.
“Cardiff also have Daniel and Patrick Martin, the husband and son of team manager Karen Martin, and Paul, Lee and Libbie Sargent, husband, son and daughter of head coach Alana Sargent.
“Mother and son Alicia and Charlie Puddick have also registered, Charlie being the youngest player in the league turning ten this month.
“Torfaen Tigers have the smallest squad in the league but could have one of the strongest starting five with two former (father and son Jason and Jamie Reynolds) and one current Wales international in their ranks.
“In Scott Trigg-Turner, who previews the season in this month’s Rugby League World magazine, they have one of the league’s most experienced players and the only person also signed with a Super League club, as he plays for Wigan Warriors this year.”
Golden concluded: “Swindon St George are newcomers to the league but are an old name in the ranks of the wheelchair game having previously played in the English system and have produced international players for both England and Wales. They also have family combinations in their squad.”
Steve Jones, head of Wheelchair Rugby League in Wales, added: “It’s great to see our sport continuing to grow in Wales and the fact we are running this league for the third year running is phenomenal.
“It’s a shame about The Argonauts this year but the door is always open for them to return. Good luck to all the clubs competing in the first round this Sunday.
“On the back of a successful league last year, another of our clubs are shortly launching what will be our fourth wheelchair club in Wales to hopefully join the league in 2026, which goes to show that there is a need for wheelchair sports in Wales.”