England stormed into the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup semi-finals with a ruthless 134-0 demolition of the USA at Wollongong Entertainment Arena — and even captain Mason Billington rates it only “a seven out of 10.”
England wheelchair rugby league (Credits: BBC Sport)
England 134-0 USA: 23 Tries Seal Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final Spot
England drove in 23 tries against the American minnows, with eight different players getting on the scoresheet. Luis Domingos — the ex-Portugal basketball international who switched sports and countries to play for Sheffield Eagles and England — scored four tries on his first appearance at the tournament. Chris Haynes and Billington also crossed for four apiece.
Finlay O’Neill was named player of the match, racking up 38 points with two tries and 15 conversions. “It was a good team effort, not just myself,” O’Neill said. “We talked about how we could improve, and I think we did that.”
France or Australia Await England in the Semi-Finals
The win means England will face France or Australia in the semi-finals next week. Two-time champions France — the losing finalists against England in 2022 — thrashed New Zealand 120-10, while hosts Australia beat Scotland 104-24. The two meet on Friday to decide the pool winners.
After last week’s 98-18 win over Wales was rated just five out of 10 by Rob Hawkins, Billington told Premier Sports the USA performance was “at least a seven”: “All week, we have been banging on about playing the way we want to play, and the boys really stuck to their principles.”
Ireland joined England in qualifying from Pool A with a 68-28 victory over Wales, and the two meet in their final group game on Friday in Wollongong.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
