On Sunday, the WRL Wheelchair Development League kicks off its third season in the venue where it all ended last year, the Fitzone at University of South Wales in Treforest.
Four sides will be in the league this year – three from Wales – Cardiff Blue Dragons, North Wales Crusaders and Torfaen Tigers – and one side from England in Swindon St George.
And there will be a new name on the trophy this season as the Kent-based Argonauts, who went unbeaten to win the league twice in a row have decided not to participate this year, as have fellow English side Hereford Harriers.
There will be eight match dates throughout 2025, all of which will be doubleheaders, with each side hosting the matches twice.
The opening match on Sunday will see Cardiff face the Crusaders at noon with Swindon facing Torfaen immediately afterwards. Each game in the league will last 30 minutes each way.
Having fielded two sides last season in the league, Crusaders are back to one this year. They will have a number of Wales internationals in their side, but only one current Wales squad member or Super League player can be on the court for each time at one time in games in this league, as the focus is on player development.
Whilst 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 10 years old this month.
Torfaen Tigers have the smallest squad in the league but could have a strong starting five with two former, father and son Jason and Jamie Reynolds, and one current Welsh 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.
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 in the past. They also have family combinations in their squad.
Steve Jones, head of Wheelchair Rugby League in Wales said: “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 Welsh clubs is 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.”
The top two sides in the regular season qualify for the Grand Final which will be on the weekend of November 1/2 with Cwpan Sialans Cadair Olwyn, the cup final for the top two Welsh sides in the competition, will be contested a week earlier.
