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England Wheelchair duo Hawkins and Coyd shortlisted for IRL Wheelchair Golden Boot

England Wheelchair internationals Rob Hawkins and Joe Coyd have been nominated for the 2026 IRL Wheelchair Golden Boot award.

Hawkins, who became the first player in any form of the game to win the Golden Boot in consecutive years, is in contention to claim the award for a third successive season after another outstanding international campaign.

Coyd joins him on an eight-player shortlist that also includes France trio Jeremy Bourson, Nicolas Clausells and Dany Denuwelaere, Ireland captain Joe Calcott, and Australia's Bayley McKenna and Adam Tannock.

The nominations come as England prepare to face France in Friday night's Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Final in Wollongong.

The Wheelchair Golden Boot winner will be announced on Thursday evening in Brisbane alongside the men's and women's awards.

IRL 2026 Golden Boot shortlist

Men

Casey McLean (New Zealand)
Francis Manuleleua (Samoa)
Kalyn Ponga (New Zealand)
Rob Toia (Tonga)
Reece Walsh (Australia)

Women

Abbi Church (Australia)
Evania Isa'ako (Samoa)
Olivia Kernick (Australia)
Raecene McGregor (New Zealand)
Apii Nicholls (New Zealand)
Tamika Upton (Australia)
Stacey Waaka (New Zealand)
Luisa Yaranamua (Fiji)

Wheelchair

Jeremy Bourson (France)
Joseph Calcott (Ireland)
Nicolas Clausells (France)
Joe Coyd (England)
Dany Denuwelaere (France)
Rob Hawkins (England)
Bayley McKenna (Australia)
Adam Tannock (Australia)

About the judges

Golden Cap recipients Darren Lockyer (Australia), Ruben Wiki (New Zealand), James Graham (England), Petero Civoniceva (Australia/Fiji) and Adrian Morley (England), who are among just nine players to have played 50 or more internationals, will choose the men’s 2026 IRL Golden Boot winner.

The Women’s 2026 IRL Golden Boot winner will be judged by Australian Jillaroos greats Karyn Murphy, Tahnee Norris and Ali Brigginshaw, New Zealand dual code superstar Honey Hireme-Smiler and fellow Kiwi Ferns legends Trish Hina and Luisa Avaiki, who also played for Samoa.

The Wheelchair IRL Golden Boot is chosen by a judging panel which comprises of Malcolm Kielty MBE, who is one of Wheelchair Rugby League's founding fathers and a former Ireland team manager, World Cup winner and England heritage player #1 Wayne Boardman, ex-Wheelaroos captain Brad Grove, former France coach Sylvain Crismanovich and IRL Wheelchair Rugby League Advisory Group Secretary David Butler.

The IRL Golden Boot is awarded to the best player in sanctioned rugby league international matches each year.

Previous IRL Golden Boot Winners

Men