England booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in emphatic style on Tuesday, thrashing the United States 134-0 in Wollongong, as France, Australia and Ireland also collected second wins in round 2. All four semi-finalists are now set, with Friday’s final group games to decide who faces whom. The four results, all played at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Tuesday 3 November, were: France 120-10 New Zealand, Australia 104-24 Scotland, Ireland 68-28 Wales and England 134-0 USA.
England 134, USA 0 — a record scoreline
World champions England, ranked number one, scored 23 tries through eight different players in the highest-scoring game of the day. It took only 33 seconds for Tristan Norfolk to open the scoring, and England led 58-0 at half-time after 10 tries before adding 13 more in the second half. England did it without their round 1 hero Robert Hawkins, who scored 11 tries in the opening win over Wales and was rested. Captain Mason Billington said he was “really proud of the boys and the way we just kept at it”, adding that the side had spent all week “banging on about playing to the best of our ability no matter what”. Goalkicker Finlay O’Neill was named player of the match, converting 15 of 16 attempts and scoring two tries of his own. The 134-0 margin is England’s best-ever World Cup scoreline, bettering their 125-22 win over Wales in 2022. England have reached the final in all four previous editions of the tournament.
France, Australia and Ireland also win
France topped 100 points for the second time in the tournament, beating New Zealand 120-10 after their 114-0 win over Scotland in round 1. Nicolas Clausells scored four tries and kicked eight goals, while New Zealand — playing at their first World Cup — had to wait 45 minutes for their first try, through Kauri Murray. Hosts Australia beat Scotland 104-24. Zac Schumacher scored the first try and now has six in two games, and player of the match Adam Tannock scored six tries — while playing with a broken finger he sustained in a July training camp. Australia led 44-12 at half-time. The closest game of the day was Ireland’s 68-28 win over Wales. Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was held for Irish marathon runner Ciara Mageean, who died of cancer on Monday aged 34, and Irish players wore black armbands. Ireland led only 26-24 with 20 minutes left before scoring seven tries to one, with captain Joseph Calcott scoring six tries and taking player-of-the-match honours.
What happens next
The semi-final line-up is now settled: England and Ireland from Pool A, and France and Australia from Pool B. Friday’s games decide the pairings. England play Ireland at 06:00 GMT on Friday in Wollongong, while Australia face France on Friday night at the WIN Entertainment Centre to decide who tops Pool B. The remaining teams go into ranking games to decide fifth to eighth place, with Wales playing the USA and Scotland playing New Zealand.
Sources
- NRL.com: https://www.nrl.com/news/2026/11/03/the-tuesday-wrap-wheelchair-world-cup/
- BBC Sport via British Bulletin: https://britishbulletin.com/wheelchair-rugby-league-england-beat-usa-134-0-to-reach-world-cup-semi-finals/
- League Unlimited: https://leagueunlimited.com/news/44900-2026-wheelchair-rugby-league-world-cup/
Frequently asked questions
What were the round 2 scores? France 120-10 New Zealand, Australia 104-24 Scotland, Ireland 68-28 Wales, England 134-0 USA.
Who has reached the semi-finals? England, Ireland, France and Australia — the pairings are decided by Friday’s final group games.
When are the final group games? Friday in Wollongong: England v Ireland and Australia v France.
Was 134-0 a record for England? Yes — their biggest-ever World Cup scoreline, beating 125-22 against Wales in 2022.
