Halifax Panthers and London Roosters to make history in Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final

Players to wear Prevent Biometrics Instrumented Mouthguards, a first for Wheelchair sport

Wheelchair Rugby League will mark another significant first at Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final when players from Halifax Panthers and London Roosters become the first wheelchair athletes to wear Instrumented Mouthguards that measure Head Accelerations of players.

Prevent Biometrics Instrumented Mouthguards have become a familiar and crucial feature of the Betfred Men’s and Women’s Super League and Challenge Cup competitions over the last two seasons, also including developing players in the Academy competitions, allowing detailed analysis of head contacts and impacts which is essential in the pursuit of player welfare.

Now the stars of Wheelchair Rugby League will have access to the same technology, as part of the TaCKLE project led by researchers at Leeds Beckett University.

Tom Coyd MBE, the head coach of England’s Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup winners in 2022 who holds the same position with London Roosters, said:

“Wheelchair Rugby League has always been a tough sport renowned for the spectacular impact of tackles – that’s been a big part of its appeal as the level of interest has developed in recent years.

“But that means it’s important we do all we can to protect the welfare of our players.

“I’ve been fascinated by the introduction of Instrumented Mouthguards to the Men’s and Women’s Super Leagues in recent years, and the level of information they can provide.

“It’s fantastic that thanks to Leeds Beckett University and Prevent Biometrics, we are now able to introduce this cutting-edge science to Wheelchair Rugby League.”

Professor Ben Jones, the RFL’s Head of Performance Science and Research, and Professor at Leeds Beckett University leading the TaCKLE project, said:

“The early adoption of instrumented mouthguards by the Rugby Football League and the broader Rugby League community has allowed us to better understand head acceleration events across different levels of the game. It’s really exciting that we now get to include Wheelchair players.

“Player welfare - and the brain health of Rugby League players now and in the future - is a key priority. The instrumented mouthguards are the key tool in allowing us to measure and manage head acceleration events and head impacts.”

Dr Cameron Owen, a Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University who is leading the study which will quantify head acceleration events in Wheelchair Rugby League, said;

“The implementation of instrumented mouthguards in Wheelchair Rugby League is a great example of how innovation in Rugby League is being applied across all levels of the sport.”

Halifax Panthers face London Roosters in the 2025 Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final at the Robin Park Sports Centre in Wigan on Saturday June 14 (kick-off 2pm), with live coverage on BBC Sport.

Halifax was the cradle of Wheelchair Rugby League in England early in the 2000s, and they won the first four Challenge Cups after its introduction in 2015 – but this will be their first Final appearance since 2018.

London Roosters are based in Medway in Kent, another stronghold of Wheelchair Rugby League, and will be playing in their first Final since being formed in 2022 as the focus for activity in the south-east which also includes the successful Championship clubs Gravesend Dynamite and Woodlands Warriors, with recent expansion to Essex through Brentwood Eels – and additional activity in schools and Universities.

For further details on the TACKLE project led by researchers at Leeds Beckett University, click here.