Lewis King will wear the number 4 shirt as England captain on the forthcoming trip to Australia – after head coach Tom Coyd MBE took the unusual step of issuing a squad number to each of the 10 players who have been selected.
The squad numbers are based on position, with King allocated 4 as a “middle” – the rough equivalent of a prop in the running game.
He is joined in the first 5 by Rob Hawkins and Mason Billington who wear the traditional Rugby League wing numbers of 2 and 5; by Joe Coyd who wears 3 as a loose forward; and by Nathan Collins who wears 1 as a pivot.
The pattern is then repeated for numbers 6-10, with Sebastien Bechara allocated 9 as a middle, Wayne Boardman 6 as a pivot, Jack Brown 8 as a loose forward, and the uncapped duo of Luis Domingos and Finlay O’Neill awarded 7 and 10 as wings.
Tom Coyd explained:
“One of the features of the development of Wheelchair Rugby League since the last World Cup has been the increased knowledge of the growing numbers of supporters of the sport.
“I think it’s important that certain numbers are linked with certain positions – as in the running game, for example, when you think of the great loose forwards who have worn the number 13.
“We wanted our players to have squad numbers for this tour for logistical reasons, but also to have numbers linked to their positions.
“The one thing I’ve stressed to them all is that just because they’re in the first 5, that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to start in the first Test.
“We’ve picked 10 players who are all very capable of representing England at the highest level and who will all be desperate to be in that first Test team on October 30.
“The battle for places will start in earnest when we land in Sydney and head out to Penrith to start our preparations for the first State game against New South Wales.”
After gathering in the Wheelchair Rugby League stronghold of Medway in Kent over the weekend, England will fly out from Heathrow tonight (Sunday) for the first Wheelchair Rugby League Ashes series since 2019.
After landing in Sydney, they face New South Wales next Friday in the first of two State matches, then travel north for a fixture against Queensland on the Sunshine Coast before the two Tests against the Wheelaroos on the Gold Coast.
Details of coverage of the matches will be released in the coming days.
The squad numbers for the tour
- Nathan Collins
- Rob Hawkins
- Joe Coyd
- Lewis King
- Mason Billington
- Wayne Boardman
- Luis Domingos
- Jack Brown
- Seb Bechara
- Finlay O’Neill
