Tom Coyd appointed Head of England Pathways

Tom Coyd MBE, the head coach of England’s Wheelchair World Cup winning team in 2022, has been appointed to a new RFL role as Head of England Pathways (Wheelchair).

The role, which is part funded by Sport England, will see Coyd work alongside the Heads of Men’s and Women’s Pathways – Paul Anderson and Stuart Barrow respectively – and is a key appointment as the RFL seeks to maintain and build on the development of Wheelchair Rugby League since the World Cup triumph.

Marc Lovering, the RFL’s Director of Development, said:

“In the three years since Wheelchair Rugby League enjoyed unprecedented exposure through the World Cup, the RFL’s development department have worked to strengthen the foundations and to increase the numbers of clubs and players involved.

“That has been achieved in terms of the geographical spread of the Betfred Wheelchair Super League, with new teams in Sheffield and Edinburgh, but also in the development of the Championship – and there was tangible evidence in this year’s England programme, with nine clubs represented.

“We’ve had another 12% year on year increase in our number of registered players in 2025, taking it to a round 100% increase since 2022 and meaning we now rank alongside the long-established Paralympics sport of Wheelchair Basketball. We’ve also introduced Women’s and Junior Pathways – all a huge credit to the work of the Foundations alongside the RFL’s National Inclusion Manager Chris Godfrey and the Development team.

“The appointment of Tom Coyd to a new role leading those Wheelchair pathways is focused on supporting and accelerating that development – while it will also give Tom more time to hone England’s preparations for their defence of the World Cup in Australia next autumn.”

Tom Coyd said:

“For someone who loves Wheelchair Rugby League, has been excited by its development over the last few years, and believes it has the potential for so much more, this is the dream job.

“There are so many brilliant people contributing to the sport, almost always on a volunteer basis, and my priority will be harnessing their talent and enthusiasm so that we’re all working to the same goal. I want to listen to and learn from them, then to work together with our stakeholders to grow the game and help develop our fantastic coaches and players.

“I’m charged with delivering a world-leading player and coach development programme to underpin England’s future international success.

“That means leading our international player development strategy, aligned with Sport England Talent objectives, and also providing leadership and mentoring support to Wheelchair Super League coaches.

“I’m also looking forward to working with the clubs, Foundations and other stakeholders in our Wheelchair Management Group and the development of the Wheelchair Premier League to generate commercial income for pathway delivery.”

Coyd will lead England to Australia at the end of next month for a four-match tour which is a key part of those World Cup preparations, including two Ashes Tests against Australia’s Wheelaroos.

But the focus is domestic this weekend with the last round of the Betfred Wheelchair Super League Play-Offs in Hull. Halifax Panthers have already qualified for the 2025 Grand Final, with London Roosters and Wigan Warriors battling to join them at the National Basketball Centre in Manchester on Sunday September 28.