Halliwell excited for Leeds homecoming

England and France will reignite their fierce rivalry on Sunday - almost a year after their captivating Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Final clash.

Tom Halliwell proved to be the hero that faithful evening in Manchester. The England captain scored the match winning try with less than three minutes remaining to clinch World Cup glory.

The next chapter in the two nations book of feuds will take place in Halliwell’s home city this weekend, as he looks to lead England to another famous victory over France. 

“As soon as I started hearing the rumours about the game being played in the First Direct arena, my ears perked up straight away,” explained Leeds Rhinos and England wheelchair star, Halliwell.

“I’m a Leeds lad so to be able to captain my country in my home city is something very special and surreal. Having all my family and friends in there is going to be great and no doubt when you hear that national anthem come on, you’ll see some tears coming from my eyes. 

“This is number one in the world versus number two. This is the best two teams facing off against each other and it’s going to be on full on war out there. 

“It’s going to be an excellent game for the fans to watch and the skill on offer is just amazing. France are a great side so it’s a matter of us going out there and performing at our best to win the game.”

The wheelchair game has come on leaps and bounds over the past 12 months. The Rugby League World Cup propelled the sport into the spotlight and captured the imagination of spectators – but Halliwell insists that this is just the start.

“Having the sport being played in front of big crowds shows how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time. It’s something I’m very proud of, but I don’t want it to stop here. I want to keep striving for greatness and keep on growing the sport to a whole new level. 

“I think the game has developed massively. We’ve probably seen the best domestic season we’ve ever had as a sport and the participation numbers have increased dramatically. I know for a fact that all the Super League clubs have tripled the numbers that they had from the year before.

“Seeing players like me, Rob Hawkins and James Simpson being invited to go down to Wimbledon on centre court in the royal box is incredibly special. Receiving the honours we’ve got shows how much the sport has grown and also been put out there. 

“If you had asked me a couple of years ago where the sport would be in 2023, there’s no way I would’ve said where it is currently. It’s a testament to everyone but I don’t think there’s a limit to this sport. We can keep striving to grow more and more.”