England against Ireland. A rivalry that never fails to get the juices flowing and today it is on in the Cooper Box Arena in London as part of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.

This is the third time the Wheelchair World Cup has been played but the first as an integrated part of the Men’s and Women’s 13-a-side tournament.

It has benefited from the same sponsors, the same administrative backup, and the same coverage across BBC televisions Red Button, and online programming.

This is as inclusive as a sport can get and in a sport that itself is open to all. Wheelchair Rugby can be played by those with or without a disability and by men and women on the same team. It is all down to merit as a player and the ability to bend your chair to your will in a game of speed and skill.

Ireland qualified for the Finals after Norway withdrew due to their having been unable to prepare or play during the pandemic.

“This presents a wonderful opportunity for Ireland, who have been active in both training and playing games in the past 18 months,” said Ireland Rugby League Chair Troy Grant.

The Governing Body has been active with the Irish Wheelchair Association in promoting the sport to its members. The original squad was predominantly made up of English-based players but after trials in Ireland, an additional three players made the World Cup Final squad.

“The event is a fantastic example of true inclusion where holding the Wheelchair Competition side by side with the able-bodied men’s and women’s competitions has given it equal status in terms of profile and promotion,” said Nicky Hamill, Director of Sport at the Irish Wheelchair Association.

“The coverage online and on TV again has been hugely impressive as have the attendance numbers at the games.”

“The games themselves have been of a very high standard for the relatively inexperienced Irish team, but adrenaline-filled and great to watch. A huge amount of credit is due to all concerned.”

Over 3,000 attended the games played last Sunday. We have been highlighting the Ireland games in our Daily Guide to Sport on TV and today’s game against England gets underway on the BBC Red Button and the BBC iPlayer at 1-30 PM.

Team Ireland is supported by The Kelly Group.