Wayne Boardman

Last updated

Wayne Boardman
Personal information
Born1974/75
Playing information
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
Halifax Panthers
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
2005– England
Medals
Wheelchair rugby league
Representing Flag of England.svg  England
World Cup
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 France
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2021 England

Wayne Boardman is an English wheelchair rugby league player-coach. He currently plays for Halifax Panthers in the RFL Wheelchair Super League, to whom he captains, and the England national wheelchair rugby league team.

Contents

Background

Wayne Boardman is an disabled wheelchair rugby league player. He is a product of the Wakefield Trinity academy in the running game and has also briefly played for Dewsbury Rams. At aged 29 he suffered an accident which confined him to a wheelchair, and began playing wheelchair rugby league and wheelchair basketball at a local club. [1]

Career

Boardman (front row; first left) with the England national wheelchair rugby league team, celebrating their 2021 World Cup victory at Old Trafford in 2022 England wheelchair rugby league team celebrating at Old Trafford.jpg
Boardman (front row; first left) with the England national wheelchair rugby league team, celebrating their 2021 World Cup victory at Old Trafford in 2022

Club

Wayne Boardman has played his entire career to date at Halifax Panthers. He played in both 2015 and 2016 domestic wheelchair finals for Halifax in which the team won both. [2] [3] Boardman also won the inaugural 2019 Super League title with Halifax. [4]

International

Wayne Boardman is the England national teams's first ever player, having the heritage number "1". [3] He has represented the country at the 2017 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. [5] where he finished runners-up with England to France in the final. [6] He again was selected for the 2021 tournament. [7] this time beating France 28–24 in the final. [8]

Doping issue

In June 2021, Boardman was given a 13 month suspension from the sport for having oxandrolone in his urine. This decision was overturned by the court of Arbitration for Sport, deeming him to have "no fault or negligence" surrounding the presence of the steroid. [9] [10]

Honours

Halifax

England

References

  1. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/playing-wheelchair-rugby-league-has-given-england-international-wayne-boardman-a-new-purpose-1748776
  2. "Halifax claim Wheelchair RL double". Rugby-League.com. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 https://www.rugby-league.com/article/63822/and-theres-more-its-the-betfred-wheelchair-challenge-cup-final-on-saturday
  4. "Wheelchair finals are just grand for Halifax and Hull". Rugby-League.com. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  5. "England Wheelchair RL announce World Cup squad". www.rugby-league.com.
  6. "Des Guerriers d'Exception!". 29 July 2017.
  7. "Rugby League World Cup 2021: Official wheelchair squads". National Rugby League. 3 October 2022.
  8. "Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final: Tom Halliwell late try secures trophy for England". BBC Sport. 18 November 2022.
  9. https://www.lawinsport.com/topics/news/item/wheelchair-rugby-league-player-wayne-boardman-returns-to-sport-after-receiving-13-month-ban
  10. https://www.rugby-league.com/article/61129/wayne-boardman-%7C-rfl-statement