England Wheelchair Rugby League’s National Performance Squad (NPS) held its second training session of the season at York Sport last weekend, where London Roosters’ Mason Billington was also one of a number of fresh faces linking up with some of the game’s more familiar names.
Not bad for someone who only took up Wheelchair Rugby League this year!
“I love rugby and I’d played rugby union for 10 years, but I broke my back in 2016 and pretty much spent the next two years in a wheelchair feeling sorry for myself and not knowing what to do with myself," Billington explained.
“Eventually, I missed sport and with my wife’s encouragement I started doing wheelchair racing. Then the coach, Richard, told me to try a wheelchair basketball. I loved that too and played for five years.
“Literally four months ago a friend of mine, Harry, said ‘try Wheelchair Rugby League – there's a team starting in Brentwood’. So I went along. And I absolutely loved it!
“Just getting back into rugby as we amazing to be honest. I love the physical aspect. I love that feeling of my body hurting after a game.
“Basketball is a very skillful game, but Wheelchair Rugby League just felt like a running game again for me. I feel like it’s made for me. The basketball chair skills and rugby are a match made in heaven for me.
“Joining a team with two World Cup winners in it and experienced heads like Jason Owen, plus being coached by England’s head coach Tom Coyd, has been a massive help. They all give me so much information. I literally couldn't have been put into a better place to learn the game.
"I’m aiming to be the best player I can be.”
England Wheelchair Rugby League National Performance Squad:
Seb Bechara MBE (Catalans Dragons), Mason Billington (London Roosters), Wayne Boardman (Halifax Panthers), Jack Brown (North Queensland Cowboys), Josh Butler, Nathan Collins (both Leeds Rhinos), Joe Coyd (London Roosters), Tom Halliwell OBE (Leeds Rhinos), Rob Hawkins (Halifax Panthers), Chris Haynes (Sheffield Eagles), Jack Heggie (Wigan Warriors), Nathan Holmes (Halifax Panthers), Lewis King (London Roosters), Tristan Norfolk (Hull FC), Jason Owen (London Roosters), Adam Rigby (Wigan Warriors).
