Defending champions England face hosts Australia in the semi-final of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup on Tuesday, 10 November, with a place in Friday's final at stake. Kick-off is at 8.45am GMT at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.

England go into the knockout stage unbeaten after topping Pool A. They opened with a 98-18 win over Wales, followed that with a 134-0 victory against the United States, and then came from 20-4 down to beat Ireland 68-32 in their final group game on Friday, 6 November.

Hawkins leads the title defence

Rob Hawkins has been central to England's campaign. The forward, who won the International Rugby League Golden Boot award as the world's best wheelchair player in 2024 and again in 2025, scored a hat-trick of tries against Ireland. A BBC feature published on 9 November tells how Hawkins overcame illness to become one of the stars of the England side.

England are aiming to become the first nation to lift the wheelchair World Cup trophy on three occasions. They won the title on home soil in 2022, when Tom Halliwell's late try sealed victory over France in the final, and they go into Tuesday's match as favourites to reach the showpiece game.

Head coach Tom Coyd, who was awarded an MBE, has said his side will face their toughest test of the tournament so far against the hosts in their own backyard.

A familiar rivalry

Australia will be a familiar challenge. The two nations met in last year's Wheelchair Ashes series in Australia, where England secured a 2-0 series victory. They also met at the last World Cup, when England beat the Wheelaroos 38-8 at the Copper Box Arena in London in the opening fixture of their successful 2022 campaign.

Australia reached the semi-finals as runners-up in Pool B. France topped that group after beating Australia 69-34 in the final round of group matches on Friday, 6 November. France face Ireland in the other semi-final on Tuesday at 6.15am GMT.

The winners of the two semi-finals meet in the final on Friday, 13 November, also at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. England won the last World Cup on home soil in 2022, when Tom Halliwell's late try sealed victory over France in the final, and a win on Tuesday would put them one match away from retaining the trophy they have held for four years.

The final takes place at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Friday, 13 November. England's semi-final will be shown live on Premier Sports 2 and Premier Player, with kick-off at 8.45am GMT, which is 7.45pm local time in Wollongong.