Gillingham hosts thrilling Wheelchair Rugby Super League Grand Final

  • Video report from ITV News Meridian's Abigail Bracken


Wheelchair rugby is fast and in this season's super league final at Medway Park in Gillingham, the crashes came often and hard.

It is a sport where men play with women, and regular wheelchair users, alongside teammates without disabilities. 

The Deputy Leader of Medway Council, Councillor Howard Doe, was present and was thrilled by what he saw: "When I first was told I had to go and see Wheelchair Rugby, I had no idea it was so exciting."

"But it really is exciting and believe you me if you took this on, which you could as an ordinary person without disabilities, you would find it very, very frightening indeed."

Wheelchair Rugby is fast paced and his similar rules to Rugby League. Credit: ITV News Meridian

The rules are similar to Rugby League, they have same shaped ball. They also pass backwards but tackle in the same way as Tag Rugby, by pulling tags off of other players.

Leyland Warriors made a comeback towards the end of the first half. But in the second, try followed try, and conversion, for Leeds.

The Warriors kept battling, but the Rhinos won by 52 points to 36.


  • Declan Roberts, Leyland Warriors


Declan Roberts from Leyland Warriors, said: "Leeds have been the best team all year, they beat us five times in the league. They haven't lost a match since 2019, but I thought we ran them pretty close."

"I thought that it was a tough game and they thought it was as well, so I'll take that."

James Simpson, Leeds Rhinos' captain, said: "I nearly burst into tears because it means so much to myself and the team and this is absolutely years of hard work."

"We lost every game we played for three years and then we've just won the treble so it's down to hard work and working for each other."


  • Jodie Boyd-Ward, Leeds Rhinos


The sport is unique in that it is open to both men and women.

Jodie Boyd-Ward, from Leeds Rhinos, said: "The more female players we can get into this sport the better".

"I'm very much an advocate for that an I'm just going to keep pushing with this sport and getting more female players in because we can keep up with the lads."

"There's no double about that."

There was no doubt at all, over which team was most dominant as Leeds Rhinos lifted the Super League Cup in Medway.