The third season of the WRL Wheelchair Invitational League will kick off on Sunday 9th March in the venue where it all ended last year, the Fitzone at the University of South Wales in Treforest.
Four sides will be in the league this year – three for 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 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.
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, won in 2024 by North Wales Crusaders, will be contested a week earlier.
Stephen Jones, the manager for Wheelchair Rugby League in Wales, said: “It’s with great pleasure that we can announce the fixtures for the new WRL Wheelchair Invitational League season.
“Last year’s competition was a big success and we’re certain that this year will be just as successful.
“We’d like to thank Argonauts and Hereford for their participation over the last two years. They’ve left the competition for different reasons and they’ll be welcomed back in another year if they want to submit an application.
“Wheelchair Rugby League is accessible to all. We’re the most inclusive sport in the world and this is the most inclusive league in the world. We accept players of any age, all genders, and whether you are disabled or non-disabled. Please visit our website if you want help in finding a club if you want to give this great sport a try.”
Wheelchair Rugby League is unique in that it offers both disabled and non-disabled players of all genders the opportunity to compete both with and against each other on a level playing field.
The sport is faithful to the rules of Rugby League:
• Five players in each team score tries in exactly the same way as Rugby League
• Conversions are scored by punching the ball from a tee over mini-RL posts
• Tackles are made as in tag RL by taking the attached tag or flag
• Five tackles are followed by handing over the rugby ball to the opposition
• Offside, knock-on and in touch applies as per Rugby League
To find a club and see their fixtures, visit our club finder.
The season’s fixtures are in full below…
Sunday 9 March | Fitzone, USW, Treforest
12pm Cardiff Blue Dragons v North Wales Crusaders
1.20pm Swindon St George v Torfaen Tigers
Sunday 27 April | Cwmbran Stadium
12.15pm Torfaen Tigers v Cardiff Blue Dragons
1.35pm North Wales Crusaders v Swindon St George
Saturday 3 May | New College Swindon
3.15pm Swindon St George v Cardiff Blue Dragons
4.35pm Torfaen Tigers v North Wales Crusaders
Saturday 7 June | Deeside Leisure Centre, Queensferry
11.15am North Wales Crusaders v Torfaen Tigers
12.35pm Cardiff Blue Dragons v Swindon St George
Saturday 23 August | New College Swindon
3.15pm Swindon St George v Torfaen Tigers
4.35pm North Wales Crusaders v Cardiff Blue Dragons
Sunday 5 October | Fitzone, USW, Treforest
12pm Cardiff Blue Dragons v Torfaen Tigers
1.20pm Swindon St George v North Wales Crusaders
Sunday 12 October | Wrexham University Sports Centre
11.15am North Wales Crusaders v Cardiff Blue Dragons
12.35pm Torfaen Tigers v Swindon St George
Sunday 19 October | Cwmbran Stadium
12.15pm Torfaen Tigers v North Wales Crusaders
1.35pm Cardiff Blue Dragons v Swindon St George
| [donate]
| Help keep news FREE for our readersSupporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism,then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. |