Warrington to host historic PDRL World Cup

WARRINGTON will be the host venue for the first ever Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup later this year.

Physical Disability Rugby League is a modified version of the game for players with physical disabilities.

For the first time ever, a PDRL World Cup will be played alongside the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments being held in England at the same time.

Victoria Park will host group matches on three different days, before the final takes place at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

It will follow the match between France and Samoa in the men’s tournament on October 30.

Four nations will compete in the PDRL World Cup – England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand.

Cabinet member for leisure and community, Cllr Tony Higgins, said: “We have an outstanding track record of championing people with disabilities in Warrington, including the pioneering work of both the Warrington Wolves Foundation and Warrington Disability Partnership.

“It is an honour for us to continue our commitment to raising the profile of disability sport by hosting the PDRL World Cup in Warrington later this year, and to equally support the tournament’s aim of being the biggest and most inclusive competition to date.”

The first ever PDRL match in England involved Warrington, who played against Leeds in 2018.

Channel 4 presenter Adam Hills is a high-profile player for the Wolves team.

Hills, who is a RLWC2021 Tournament Ambassador, said: “I’ve been looking forward to playing in the PDRL World Cup for a long time, and now the nations and fixture dates have been confirmed it’s feeling very real.

“To have the tournament in this country and as part of the RLWC2021 is a brilliant opportunity to really raise the profile of this fantastic game, and hopefully encourage more people with a physical disability to get involved. I’m proud to be an ambassador for a tournament as inclusive as the RLWC2021, and I’m looking forward to personally revealing more about the PDRL World Cup soon!”

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive of RLWC2021, added: “RLWC2021 is committed to being the biggest, best and most inclusive Rugby League World Cup in history, and hosting a PDRL World Cup showcase event alongside the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments is just one of the ways we are bringing that commitment to life.

“We are proud to be provide the platform for a PDRL World Cup showcase event, and we hope that the sport may follow Wheelchair Rugby League, which featured in the RLWC2017 as a showcase event and is now a cemented feature within the RLWC2021 tournament.

“In terms of hosting the PDRL World Cup showcase event, I can think of no better host than Warrington. The town is synonymous with our sport, and their support for PDRL via the Warrington Wolves Foundation is exemplary.”

Date	Location	Stage	Kick-Off Time
23 October	Victoria Park, Warrington	Group Match 1 Match 2	14:00 16:30
25 October	Victoria Park, Warrington	Group Match 1 Match 2	14:00 16:30
28 October	Victoria Park, Warrington	Group Match 1 Match 2	17:00 19:30
30 October	Victoria Park, Warrington Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington	FINALS 3 – 4 place 1 – 2 place	TBC TBC