WRL Wheelchair Team Road to World Cup 2026

Aim

Help the WRL Wheelchair Team prepare for World Cup 2026 with the best chance of winning for Wales. Our team focused on playing, not paying!

Who are we?

The Wales Rugby League (WRL) Wheelchair National team is made up of the best players from across Wales and the UK!  This season the team will represent Wales at the Celtic Cup in Scotland on 23 May 2026 and the International Rugby League World Cup in Australia in October/November 2026!

Wheelchair Rugby league is one of the most diverse and inclusive sports. Players have a range of physical and hidden disabilities.  Non-disabled athletes are also given the opportunity to play alongside players they never would meet in other sports.  Did you know, in Wheelchair Rugby league, all genders and ages play together?!

Why are we crowdfunding?

Most people don't realise that the WRL Wheelchair Team has been self-funding due to shortfalls in funding streams. Self-funding means they either have to pay or find individual sponsors to pay for everything from international fixture fees and hall rental for National Team practice. 

For example, to participate in the Celtic Cup, their only international fixture prior to World Cup, each player was expected to pay £250 for the participation fee, hotel room and meals. 

Many of our players face barriers to education and employment due to their individual personal physical and mental health challenges. The added pressure of self-funding means that many elite players may face the difficult choice of paying or playing due to financial obligations. 

Our goal is to raise not only funds but awareness in for the sport so that they players can focus on being the best they can and have a large fanbase cheering them on in Australia! 

How we’ll spend the money raised

Here's how your support will make a real difference to the team:

£250.00 Venue for a training camp. (2 Camps)
£500 Venue hire for a two-day training camp (2 Camps)
£1,000 accommodation & food for 2-day camps (2 overnights)
£120 Complete Kit Per Player: Help them look and feel great!
£1,500 Spare parts and tools for sports wheelchairs (We break things, a lot!)
£500 Fully stocked medical bag (We take a lot of hard knocks!)
£2,000 in match funding for replacement chairs (New chair cost more than £5k!)

Community impact

Wheelchair Rugby highlights that regardless of the challenge you face in life, having a physical or hidden disability, you can achieve your dreams.

All of our players also play with their local development teams, providing inspiration and motivation to new players, young and old. 

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Join our Cheering Squad:  Please share our project on your socials and help us spread the word far and wide. We will keep you up to date on the team's progress on the road to World Cup 2026. 

3. Become a Sponsor:   If you are a business and can sponsor a player, a camp or a new playing wheelchair, please get in touch. 

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th July 2026 at 2:20pm