Monday 24 Apr 2017
The England Wheelchair Rugby League team returned to St. George’s Park this month as part of their preparations for the 2017 International Wheelchair Rugby League World Championships in France.
The visit was the second of three scheduled so far in 2017 as the team boost their training activity ahead of the event, where they will compete against the world’s top 12 teams for the international title.
Taking part in the tournament will give England the chance to emulate the achievement of winning the inaugural World Cup in 2008.
Beyond training in the futsal hall, the squad got to make use of the hydrotherapy and strength and conditioning facilities at St. George’s Park. The team is also set to return for its third session on the 28 May 2017.
Mark Roughsedge, joint head coach of England Wheelchair Rugby League, said: "We are now in the next phase of our four-year plan to win back the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.
"It's important that we set the standards early on, but we are really impressed with what we have seen and are hoping to continue to raise the bar.
"As a team we’ve really enjoyed using the facilities at St. George’s Park. As a regular home to the national football and rugby league teams, it’s great to have access to the same facilities.
"Being in an environment like that is something that is helping us to raise the standards even more and we look forward to returning again soon.”
Holly Murdoch, general manager at St. George’s Park, added: “World Cup preparations are always hugely exciting and at St. George’s Park we love hosting teams at these times where planning, determination and facilities come hand-in-hand.
"The first two sessions have shown us that England are hungry for the title and we hope that our site helps to support and drive this energy both on and off the pitch by helping them to prepare across our range of facilities.”
