PDRL World Cup Final

[josie andrews]

England PDRL 42 - 10 New Zealand

What a great game to watch, just brilliant from all the players.

Well Done to England PDRL On becoming World Champions

[Charriots Offiah]

Fantastic performance and result, a pleasure to watch.

[josie andrews]

Zeller and Parkinson power England Community Lions to PDRL World Cup glory

England Community Lions lifted the inaugural Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) World Cup – and with it England’s first Rugby League World Cup trophy of 2022 – with a sensational 42-10 defeat of New Zealand at Warrington.

And they did so thanks in large part to stellar performances from Leeds Rhinos’ Sam Zeller and Wakefield Trinity’s Callum Parkinson, the latter richly deserving his player-of-the-final award. Zeller grabbed two tries, including a 90 metre solo direct from dummy half in the first half, while Parkinson found himself at the centre of everything in both attack and defence.

England went into the final unbeaten in group stage action against Australia, New Zealand and Wales, but it was New Zealand who applied the early pressure. Delta Taeauga, Tim Ragg and Mal Davis all went close for New Zealand in the early stages, only to be denied by magnificent scrambling defence from England.
Storm weathered, England turned defence into attack through Zeller and Parkinson, and after Tommy Pouncey was halted close to the line his Leeds Rhinos teammate Nick Leigh found his way over for England’s first try.

New Zealand almost hit back immediately through Michael Kulene, only to be grounded again by the lethal Zeller/Parkinson combination, Zeller finishing superbly to extend England’s lead to 8-0 and converting his own try to make it 10-0.

On 17 minutes skipper Scott Gobin burst through from half way off a neat Adam Morris pass, Zeller’s conversion making the score England 16 New Zealand 0.
With half time approaching New Zealand’s Matthew Slade was smartly closed down by Parkinson, before the Kiwis finally got on the scoresheet through the ever-dangerous Roko Nailolo as the hooter sounded to reduce the arrears to by four points.

New Zealand needed to score next – and almost did through Kulene, who was denied by a superb ankle tap from who else but Parkinson, before Zeller raced 90 metres to rub salt into Kiwi wounds.
Kulene deservedly score got on the scoresheet on 35 minutes, but further second half tries from Pouncey, Adam Fleming, Nick Kennedy and Gobin cemented England’s place in the history books.

England

Tries: Leigh (8), Zeller (12, 27), Gobin (17, 47), Pouncey (31), Fleming (38), Kennedy (43)
Goals: Zeller (3), Dean (1), Gobin (1)

New Zealand

Tries: Arolo (25), Kulene (35)
Goals: Nailolo (1

[the pieman]

brilliant and well done to the team

really enjoyed the games i've watched so far, and got the final to watch later today

i really enjoyed and was touched by the interview by Adam Hills after the 1st game v Oz as he articulated so well what it meant to those guys with physical disabilities to be able to be part of a team environment and not only that, be able to represent their country. Its not something that you particularly think about as an able bodied person as you can just rock up and join your local football / rugby / (enter any team sport here) club and be able to play.I have a disabled cousin, and never thought anything of it, until hearing that interview and how it could be positive for her mental health etc, being able to participate in a team sport. whether she would be interested in playing sport is a different matter, but to be able to have that choice must be so good for many disabled people

[josie andrews]

brilliant and well done to the team

really enjoyed the games i've watched so far, and got the final to watch later today

i really enjoyed and was touched by the interview by Adam Hills after the 1st game v Oz as he articulated so well what it meant to those guys with physical disabilities to be able to be part of a team environment and not only that, be able to represent their country. Its not something that you particularly think about as an able bodied person as you can just rock up and join your local football / rugby / (enter any team sport here) club and be able to play.I have a disabled cousin, and never thought anything of it, until hearing that interview and how it could be positive for her mental health etc, being able to participate in a team sport. whether she would be interested in playing sport is a different matter, but to be able to have that choice must be so good for many disabled people

Sorry, haven’t you watched the final yet? Cracking game. We played NZ on Friday as well as in the final.

World Cup Champions England PDRL

[the pieman]

brilliant and well done to the team

really enjoyed the games i've watched so far, and got the final to watch later today

i really enjoyed and was touched by the interview by Adam Hills after the 1st game v Oz as he articulated so well what it meant to those guys with physical disabilities to be able to be part of a team environment and not only that, be able to represent their country. Its not something that you particularly think about as an able bodied person as you can just rock up and join your local football / rugby / (enter any team sport here) club and be able to play.I have a disabled cousin, and never thought anything of it, until hearing that interview and how it could be positive for her mental health etc, being able to participate in a team sport. whether she would be interested in playing sport is a different matter, but to be able to have that choice must be so good for many disabled people

Sorry, haven’t you watched the final yet? Cracking game. We played NZ on Friday as well as in the final.

World Cup Champions England PDRL

Just watching it now Josie. had quite a lot on over the weekend, so playing catchup on the games i missed today . Lucky enough to be able to be working from home, so have them on in the background

some fantastic skills on show again in the PDRL final

[Blackpool_Pie]

brilliant and well done to the team

really enjoyed the games i've watched so far, and got the final to watch later today

i really enjoyed and was touched by the interview by Adam Hills after the 1st game v Oz as he articulated so well what it meant to those guys with physical disabilities to be able to be part of a team environment and not only that, be able to represent their country. Its not something that you particularly think about as an able bodied person as you can just rock up and join your local football / rugby / (enter any team sport here) club and be able to play.I have a disabled cousin, and never thought anything of it, until hearing that interview and how it could be positive for her mental health etc, being able to participate in a team sport. whether she would be interested in playing sport is a different matter, but to be able to have that choice must be so good for many disabled people

Sorry, haven’t you watched the final yet? Cracking game. We played NZ on Friday as well as in the final.

World Cup Champions England PDRL

Talk about a spoiler alert

[josie andrews]

brilliant and well done to the team

really enjoyed the games i've watched so far, and got the final to watch later today

i really enjoyed and was touched by the interview by Adam Hills after the 1st game v Oz as he articulated so well what it meant to those guys with physical disabilities to be able to be part of a team environment and not only that, be able to represent their country. Its not something that you particularly think about as an able bodied person as you can just rock up and join your local football / rugby / (enter any team sport here) club and be able to play.I have a disabled cousin, and never thought anything of it, until hearing that interview and how it could be positive for her mental health etc, being able to participate in a team sport. whether she would be interested in playing sport is a different matter, but to be able to have that choice must be so good for many disabled people

Sorry, haven’t you watched the final yet? Cracking game. We played NZ on Friday as well as in the final.

World Cup Champions England PDRL

Talk about a spoiler alert

Sorry about that