Head coach Alan Caron has named his 12-player Wales squad for the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in Australia, with our own Mark Williams selected.
Mark was in the Jets squad who won the WRL title at the start of the year, before helping to lead Wigan Warriors to the Challenge Cup and Super League semi-finals.
Martin and Matthew Turner are set to represent Cymru, as will Gareth and Sid Ramsey, making this the first time a father and son have represented Wales together at a Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup and the first time that two such pairings have been named in one squad. A father-and-son pair have featured in the Wales set-up previously, but never before on the World Cup stage.
Sheffield Eagles’ Gareth Ramsey is one of three potential Wales debutants, with John Berriman of York RLFC and Fionn McCabe of North Wales Crusaders also both uncapped. One of these players could become Wales’ 50th wheelchair international, with the side having fielded 48 players since its inception in 2012.
Turning 16 just before the tournament starts, McCabe is set to be Wales’ third-youngest senior international. Showing maturity beyond his age, he was top try scorer for Crusaders this season as they won silver in this year’s RFL Wheelchair Championship, losing in the final.
The tournament could also see Jodie Boyd-Ward make wheelchair rugby league history, with the Leeds Rhinos’ captain set to become the first wheelchair player to reach 50 international caps if she takes part in three matches in Australia. She comes into her fourth World Cup with 18 Wales caps, having previously won seven for Ireland and 22 for England.
Mark Williams has the most Wales caps in the squad with 42 appearances. He is one of a few players in this Wales squad who played in both the Welsh and English leagues in 2026, with Williams helping South Wales Jets to win the WRL title and Wigan Warriors to Super League and RFL Challenge Cup semi-finals.
Caron, who played for Wales in the last three World Cups, is relishing the opportunity to coach his nation this time around.
He said: “This is a squad we can be incredibly proud of. We’ve got players with huge international experience alongside some exciting new talent, and everyone selected has earned the right to be here.
“Having two father-and-son combinations in the squad makes this World Cup particularly special. Gareth and Sid, and Martin and Matthew, have the opportunity to share something that very few players ever get to experience: representing Wales together at a World Cup.
“For John, Fionn and Gareth, the opportunity to make their Wales debuts at a World Cup would be something very special, while our experienced players will be vital in helping them and the rest of the squad through the tournament.
“We know the standard will be extremely high, but we’re not going to Australia just to take part. We want to compete, we want to win games and, above everything, we want to make Wales proud.”
Wales, who kick off the World Cup against England on Friday 30 October, are guaranteed five matches at the tournament, as all eight sides qualify for either the semi-finals or ranking matches, with every match taking place at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. The final is on Friday 13 November.
Premier Sports holds the exclusive UK and Ireland broadcast rights to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. All Wales’ matches take place over the course of a month, meaning it will cost fans just £18.99 to subscribe for one month, covering all Wales matches and ending with the men’s final, with no notice needed for cancellation if subscribed through Prime Video.
We know that kick-off times will mean early starts for Welsh supporters back in Cymru, but these are World Cup matches, and we hope fans across Wales will get behind both teams throughout their campaigns.
For those who are going to Australia to support us, please buy tickets here.
Wales Wheelchair World Cup Squad:
Stuart Williams (Edinburgh Giants/North Wales Crusaders), Jodie Boyd-Ward (Leeds Rhinos), Andrew Higgins (Midlands Hurricanes), Lee Sargent (Midlands Hurricanes/Cardiff Blue Dragons), Jonathan Gill, Fionn McCabe, Martin Turner (all North Wales Crusaders), Gareth Ramsey, Sid Ramsey (both Sheffield Eagles), Matthew Turner (Wigan Warriors/North Wales Crusaders), Mark Williams (Wigan Warriors/South Wales Jets), John Berriman (York RLFC).
Wales Wheelchair World Cup group fixtures (all tournament matches are at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong)
Friday 30 October 2026 England v Wales (3.30pm local, 4.30am GMT)
Tuesday 3 November 2026 Ireland v Wales (4pm local, 5am GMT)
Friday 6 November 2026 Wales v USA (1.30pm local, 2.30am GMT)
HELP PUT CYMRU ON THE WORLD STAGE
Wales’ Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup campaign is being supported by the 10,000 for CYMRU fundraising appeal.
The campaign aims to raise £10,000 through 10,000 donations of £1, helping meet the costs of taking Wales’ wheelchair team to Australia.
The money will help cover the significant costs of the campaign, including travel to Heathrow Airport, training venue costs in Wales before the tournament, specialist wheelchair requirements, equipment and other essential World Cup expenses.
