Some enormous hits at this early stage, and they are only going to get bigger.

Brad Grove
Former Australia captain on Premier Sports

You can see that England have done their research on this Australian side. They are struggling at the moment.

Brilliant defence by England.

Mason Billington, who scored the opener, is now a hero at the other end as he forces Dan Anstey out of play when he seemed certain to score in the right corner.

Australia won't take that lying down.

Captain Bayley McKenna is nearly over the line, but is stopped with a high tackle. They get another set of six right in the danger zone.

Kyle Amor
Former St Helens prop on Premier Sports

England strike first, the marker has been laid down and intentions are now clear. A wonderful start from England.

England are favourites here after topping their group, but Australia gave them two tough games in their Ashes series in London last year.

And from the start the English are having to defend their try line.

England captain Lewis King collects the kick-off and is immediately knocked to the ground.

If you've never watched wheelchair rugby league before, believe me, it can be brutal.

Referee Tim Robinson - who has a great big, bushy beard - gets us under way.

The England players absolutely belted out God Save The King. No doubting the pride and passion in this team.

Kick-off comes imminently.

Image source, SWPix

In some ways, wheelchair rugby league is the same as the running game. Teams of five players have six tackles to score.

Tackles on the ball carrier are made by pulling off a tag attached to each player's shirt.

A try scores four points, with two points for penalties and conversions, which are taken by punching the ball off a tee over the posts.

The game is played with an oval ball and lasts for 80 minutes, with a maximum of two non-disabled and three disabled players allowed on the field at any one time.

England: Joe Coyd, Robert Hawkins, Tristan Norfolk, Lewis King, Mason Billington, Nathan Collins, Chris Haynes, Jack Brown, Finlay O'Neill

Australia: Adam Tannock, Bayley McKenna, Cory Cannane, Daniel Anstey, Zac Schumacher, Diab Karim, Toby Popple, Peter Arbuckle, Liam Luff

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport

Image source, SWPix

When Rob Hawkins replied to what he thought was an advert to play wheelchair basketball more than a decade ago he could not have imagined he would be a key part of an England side defending their Rugby League World Cup title.

Hawkins, 25, who was a big presence in the side to triumph in Manchester four years ago, has had to overcome the odds - and a battle with chronic fatigue syndrome - to become one of the stars of the international game.

The England and Halifax Panthers wing only took up rugby league in 2014 after being bedbound for 18 months, and following a quirk of fate.

Hawkins told BBC Sport: "I saw something on television about wheelchair basketball so we tried looking for our local club, and what we thought was Halifax wheelchair basketball. When we went to a session it turned out it was wheelchair rugby league instead.

"I thought I'd give it a try and see what I thought. I jumped into a chair for about 20 minutes before my body probably wouldn't let me continue any more and I just kept wanting to go back and get better. It was definitely an interesting turn of events but I don't regret any minute of staying in the sport."

Hawkins won the coveted IRL Golden Boot Award in 2024 and 2025 after being voted the International Wheelchair Player of the Year.

He is also Super League's reigning Wheels of Steel winner, given to the best player in the competition.

England's main title rivals are France. The old enemies have met in the past three finals, the French winning in 2013 and 2017 before being beaten 28-24 in Manchester four years ago.

But Australia, who are hosting every match in Wollongong, have their strongest ever squad.

An Australian sweep of the men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments, all taking place concurrently, for the first time by any nation is not out of the question.

Bayley McKenna is their first non-disabled captain, having picked up the sport in 2006 to support his father, who was paralysed in an accident.

This is the fifth staging of the World Cup for wheelchair rugby league and England have never failed to reach the final, winning twice, in 2008 and four years ago on home ground.

The current England team looking to emulate that success is led by Rob Hawkins, who this year won the Wheels of Steel award for best player in the Wheelchair Super League.

Among those supporting Hawkins are Luis Domingos, an ex-Portugal basketball international who switched sports as well as countries and now plays for Sheffield Eagles and England.

Jack Brown spent five and a half years living in Australia, coaching wheelchair rugby league while picking up lucrative work as a welder in the Queensland mines. He gave up his full-time job for sport, and after playing at the World Cup will become Wakefield wheelchair head coach next season.

Image source, SWPix

We are building up the second semi-final in the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in Wollongong.

England have never failed to reach the final in four previous tournaments and are the reigning world champions. Can they keep their run going?

Image source, SWPix

Thanks for joining us for the first semi-final - and we will be back shortly for the second one.

Holders England face hosts Australia, and we will return at 08.30 GMT for the build-up.

Player of the match Dany Denuwelaere speaking on court: "I missed the last World Cup but I am going to give it all for this World Cup and final. This game is a collective sport, so all of my tries are thanks to my team-mates."

Ireland captain Joe Calcott, speaking on Premier Sports: "I think it was just about intensity. We managed to keep it at the start. But we're a young team and they have a lot of experience and they knew how to keep the intensity going. But I'm still proud of the team.

"We've proved that we can hang with the big boys, it's just about keeping it for the whole game."