Current season, competition or edition: 2024 European Club Challenge | |
Sport | Wheelchair rugby league |
---|---|
Founded | 2023 |
No. of teams | 2 |
Country | England France Wales |
Most recent champion(s) | Catalans Dragons |
Most titles | Catalans Dragons (2 titles) |
The European Club Challenge is a single match wheelchair rugby league competition played between the champions of the previous season's British Super League and French Elite 1 champions. The competition was established in 2023 and is similar in concept to the World Club Challenge in the running game. [1]
The competition was originally proposed in 2011. [2] In 2015, a European Cup competition took place between Catalans Dragons and Leyland Warriors. It was played over two legs with both being won by the French team; 40–30 in England and 54–20 in France. [3] [4]
Catalans Dragons are the most successful club in the competition, winning two out of two titles, one shared and one outright. [5]
Catalans Dragons | 32–32 | Halifax Panthers |
---|---|---|
Tries: G. Clausells, N. Clausells (4), Dore Goals: N. Clausells (4/6) | report | Tries: Bourson (2), Hawkins (2), Holt Goals: Boardman (6) |
Sports Complex Germanor, Cabestany |
Catalans Dragons | Position | Halifax Panthers | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Number | Number | Name | |
Gilles Clausells | 1 | Starter | 1 | Wayne Boardman |
Joel Lacombe | 2 | Starter | 2 | Jeremy Bourson |
Nicolas Clausells | 3 | Starter | 3 | Seb Bechara |
Arno Vargas | 4 | Starter | 4 | Nathan Holmes |
Damien Dore | 5 | Starter | 5 | Rob Hawkins |
Victor Puly | 6 | Interchange | 6 | Jordan Holt |
Fabian Plaza | 7 | Interchange | 7 | Thomas Martin |
Joel Gelade Panzo | 8 | Interchange | 8 | Kieron Johnston |
Gilles Clausells | Coach | Wayne Boardman |
Wigan Warriors | 28–68 | Catalans Dragons |
---|---|---|
Tries: D. Roberts (3), Rigby (2) Goals: D. Roberts (4/5) | report | Tries: Dore (5), Bourson (5), Bechara, Vargas Goals: Bechara (10/13) |
Wigan Warriors | Position | Catalans Dragons | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Number | Number | Name | |
Chris Greenhalgh | 1 | Starter | 10 | Seb Bechara (c) |
Nathan Roberts | 4 | Starter | 12 | Jeremy Bourson |
Declan Roberts (c) | 7 | Starter | 28 | Damien Dore |
Adam Rigby | 8 | Starter | 8 | Victor Puly |
Phil Roberts | 9 | Starter | 10 | Arno Vargas |
Martin Lane | 3 | Interchange | 1 | Gilles Clausells |
Mark Williams | 10 | Interchange | 2 | Joel Lacombe |
Matt Wooloff | 15 | Interchange | 9 | Joel Gelade Panzo |
Interchange | 13 | Cyril Torres | ||
Chris Greenhalgh | Coach | Gilles Clausells |
Club | No. | Years |
---|---|---|
Catalans Dragons | 2 | 2023, 2024 |
Halifax Panthers | 1 | 2023 |
Italics indicates shared title
Wheelchair rugby league is a wheelchair-based version of rugby league football, one of two recognised disability versions of the sport. It was developed in France in 2000. Unlike other wheelchair sports, people without disabilities are allowed to compete in top-level competition. The sport is also unique in the fact that men and women of any age can play against each other in top-level competition.
The Catalans Dragons are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the club competes in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league
Michael Cooper is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and loose forward for the Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Super League, and for the England Knights and England at international level.
Richard David Myler is a retired rugby league footballer, who is currently the director of rugby for Hull FC in the Super League. He is a member of the Ireland squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup, having declared for Ireland in 2022. Previously he has represented England and the England Knights at international level.
The Super League is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of which ten are from Northern England, reflecting the sport's geographic heartland within the UK, one from London and one from southern France.
Alrix Da Costa is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League and France at international level.
Liam Marshall is an English rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League.
Kaide Ellis is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and loose forward for the Wigan Warriors in the ESL.
Arthur Mourgue is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a scrum-half, stand-off and fullback for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League and France at international level.
The 2019 Challenge Cup known as the Coral Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the 118th staging of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout tournament for teams in the Super League, the British National Leagues and a number of invited amateur clubs.
Morgan Smithies is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock and second-row forward for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL and both England and the England Knights at international level.
Harry Smith is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a scrum-half and stand-off for the Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Super League and both England and the England Knights at international level.
The Wheelchair Challenge Cup is a wheelchair rugby league competition organised by the Rugby Football League.
The England national wheelchair rugby league team represents England in wheelchair rugby league. The team have played in all four World Cup tournaments, winning both the inaugural competition in 2008 and the 2021 edition on home soil, and being runners up in both 2013 and 2017. They also won the 2015 European Wheelchair Rugby League Championship.
The RFL Wheelchair Super League is the highest level of wheelchair rugby league in England and Wales.
The Elite 1 Wheelchair Championship is the highest level of wheelchair rugby league in France.
The 2017 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup was the third staging of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. The tournament was held from 20 July to 28 July 2017 and was originally planned to be held in Sydney, Australia, as part of the 2017 Festival of World Cups but was relocated to France. The tournament was won by France who defeated England 38–34 in the final in Perpignan to retain the title.
The Wigan Warriors Wheelchair Rugby League Football Club are an English wheelchair rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club competes in the RFL Wheelchair Super League, the top tier of the British rugby league system. The club has played its home games at the Robin Park Arena since its formation in 2018 when it was under the name "Wigan and District Wheelchair RL team" until being taken over by Wigan Warriors in 2022.
The Catalans Dragons Wheelchair Rugby League Football Club are a French wheelchair rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. The club competes in the Elite 1 Championship, the top tier of the French rugby league system.
The Halifax Panthers Wheelchair Rugby League Football Club are an English wheelchair rugby league club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The club competes in the RFL Wheelchair Super League, the top tier of the British rugby league system. The club was formed in 2005.