The Sheffield Eagles Wheelchair Rugby League team was officially launched in June 2021, under the proud banner of the Sheffield Eagles, at the England v Wales International Match at the English Institute of Sport. Supported by internationals Wayne Boardman and Sébastien Béchara, the team held its first training session that summer and quickly began building momentum.
Our first competitive fixture came on 6 November 2021 away to Rochdale Hornets. While the 42–8 scoreline was a tough introduction, the spirit of the team was firmly ignited. By the following season, the Eagles were competing in the Championship North, facing some of the sport’s established sides including Bradford Bulls, North Wales Crusaders, and Dundee Dragons. Alongside league fixtures, the team made its Challenge Trophy debut and competed in the invitational Peacock Cup, steadily building experience, numbers, and visibility in a city that proudly hosted much of the Rugby League World Cup.
2023 marked a turning point. In February, the Eagles staged their first-ever triple-header event with the Men’s, Women’s, and Wheelchair teams all competing under the same #OneClub identity, wearing the same kit and sharing the same sponsors. That same day brought our historic first win, an emphatic 82–8 victory over Wakefield, followed by the honour of being named Club of the Year at the Wheelchair Rugby League Awards. The season saw further milestones, including the launch of a second “Gold Team,” a third-place Championship finish, and an unforgettable Challenge Trophy Final appearance at the EIS in front of a home crowd.
The Eagles soared even higher in 2024. The club secured it's first Championship East title, going unbeaten in the regular season before edging a thrilling Grand Final against Gravesend Dynamite 38–36 in Golden Point extra time. Meanwhile, our Gold Team continued to grow through a full programme of friendly fixtures, and our junior pathway, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, saw over a dozen young players training weekly.
Our commitment to development goes beyond the club. We proudly hosted the first Women’s Wheelchair Rugby League Festival and subsequent youth and women’s talent identification events. This has already resulted in multiple Sheffield players, including Vicky Brooks, Stacey Roulson, and Chris Brown, gaining representative honours, while our Head Coach Greg Brown was appointed to the national women’s and youth coaching staff. Eagles talent has also broken onto the international stage, with Chris Haynes making a try-scoring debut for England against Spain in November 2024.
Looking to 2025 and beyond, our Wheelchair team had their bid accepted to join the Betfred Super League.
Ourdemand for opportunities continues to grow, both for new players joining our ever-expanding squads and for our elite athletes pushing to compete at the highest level. Our ambition to join the Super League was rooted in meeting both needs: to provide a pathway for development while ensuring our top-level players can test themselves against the very best.
From humble beginnings in 2021 to the Betfred Super League in just four years, Sheffield Eagles Wheelchair Rugby League is proud to be one of the fastest-growing and most ambitious clubs in the game, united in passion, driven by community, and ready for the challenges ahead.
Join the Sheffield Eagles Wheelchair
Training takes place at 6:00pm every Monday at Pearson Building, Sheffield Hallam University.
For further information or to express your interest in joining, please contact andrea.dobson@eaglesfoundation.co.uk
