Wales Wheelchair RL World Cup participation in jeopardy

The Wales Wheelchair Rugby League team looks like it will be unable to participate at the World Cup in France in 2017.

This is due to a massive funding shortfall, the result of Disability Sport Wales and Sport Wales not offering wheelchair rugby league any opportunities to obtain funding from them.

A statement from the Wales Wheelchair Rugby League reads:

“Hi All, this message will not give me any pleasure to write and none for you to read either. We have been told by Disability Sport Wales we have £0 funding towards the World Cup as they are concentrating the funding on Paralympic sports and Wheelchair RL has no paralympic pathway. Likewise Sport Wales has no funding for Wheelchair RL for the same reasons.

“We currently have NO sponsor. I’ve tried Airbus but we need a really big sponsor £15,000 would be ideal but £10k would get us over the line.

“France RL require an answer by March 10 on whether we are participating or not. Currently our governing body, WRL has NO money to fund us to the World Cup either.

“If anyone has any ideas that would help or a generous sponsor they are aware of please let me know. Otherwise, unfortunately I will have to ask the WRL to tell the French RL organisers we will be unable to participate.”

Interested sponsors can contact the Wales Wheelchair side by emailing Mark Andrew Jones at maj.jones58@yahoo.co.uk.