Big weekend coming up for Wales Rugby League

There’s a big weekend ahead for Wales Rugby League with three international matches, the third round of the WRL Wheelchair Invitational League, Men’s Origin and a League 1 play-off game.

The Wales side are in action in three different disciplines – male U16 and U18, plus Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL).

The PDRL international match is against England at Llandovery RFC on Saturday (kick-off 2pm). It’s only Wales’ second year in playing PDRL and their only other meeting with England was in last year’s World Cup. The match will also make history for being the first rugby league match to be played at Llandovery’s Church Bank ground.

PDRL is an adapted version of rugby league aimed at giving those with physical disabilities the opportunity to play. It is a nine-a-side running format of the game, and is both full contact and touch, based on disability which is signified by the colour of a player’s shorts.

Wales travel north for their U18 and U16 matches as they take on Scotland. The older age group are playing at Stags Rugby Club in Grangemouth, about halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The match is being played on Saturday and kick-off is 1pm. Wales go into this game on the back of a 44-28 win over Ireland in Rhyl in July.

Wales U16s face Scotland at Barrow Island RFC on Sunday (kick-off 12.30pm). It’s only the fourth meeting between the two nations at this level with Wales winning all three so far, and after a big 62-16 win over Ireland last time out, the Welsh lads will be confident of extending their victory run. With the U16 game finishing at around 2pm, if you hotfoot it up the coast, you’ll probably make the second half of Workington Town v North Wales Crusaders in the men’s Betfred League 1 play-offs (kick-off 3pm). Crusaders secured their spot last Sunday with a big win over London Skolars.

The third round of the WRL Wheelchair Invitational League takes place on Saturday at Cwmbran Stadium with an exciting double header of matches. Torfaen Tigers face Cardiff Blue Dragons at 11.15am with both sides looking for their first win in this league. Also looking for a maiden victory is North Wales Crusaders, who face a tricky game against top of the table side, the Kent-based Argonauts. That game kicks off at 1.15pm.

Finally, Saturday also sees the second round of the 2023 WRL Men’s Origin Series with East Wales hosting West Wales at Penygraig RFC (kick-off 2.30pm). East will be hoping to bounce back after their big 60-4 defeat against North Wales in Colwyn Bay, but will expect to select a stronger side with many of their first-choice players unavailable last Sunday. West will take on North at Tata Steel on Sunday 10th September to complete the series, which assists selection for the forthcoming Wales Dragonhearts matches.

Team news for all of these games will follow later in the week on the above links.