Rob Hawkins first stepped into a wheelchair rugby league chair in 2014 after seeing what he thought was a local wheelchair basketball club. What followed was a decade-long rise that has brought him to the brink of a third Rugby League World Cup final with England, despite battling chronic fatigue syndrome that once left him bedbound for 18 months.
The 25-year-old wing for England and Halifax Panthers is preparing for Tuesday’s semi-final against Australia in Wollongong, where England aims to become the first nation to win the wheelchair rugby league World Cup three times. Hawkins was a key figure in England’s 2022 triumph in Manchester and has since become one of the sport’s best-known players.
“I thought I’d give it a try and see what I thought,” Hawkins told BBC Sport about that initial wheelchair session. “I jumped into a chair for about 20 minutes before my body probably wouldn’t let me continue any more and I just kept wanting to go back and get better.”
Before his diagnosis with chronic fatigue syndrome, Hawkins was involved in running, football, and rugby league. The illness forced him to miss two years of high school and meant he sometimes had to use walking frames or rely on family just to get to the bathroom. Despite this, he rediscovered his competitive drive through wheelchair rugby league.
“When I found out that I could play internationally it kind of drove my competitiveness back out that I didn’t have since before the condition,” he said.
Hawkins won the International Rugby League’s Golden Boot Award in both 2024 and 2025, recognising him as the Player of the Year. He is also the reigning Wheels of Steel winner, awarded to the best player in the Super League wheelchair competition.
“There are still times where I just need that extra rest,” Hawkins added. “There are days where I still go down and I do just rest all day long. The thing that I’ve just learned over the years is effectively just trying to pace myself as much as I can.”
His experience with chronic fatigue has shaped his approach to life beyond the sport. “It feels weird to say – I’m happy I’ve had this condition because it’s taught me and seemed to show me a different aspect of life where I’ve actually connected with people that I might not have done previously.”
England enter the semi-final as favourites after a dominant group stage. They thrashed Wales 98-18 and the USA 134-0 before beating Ireland 68-32 to finish top of Pool A. Australia, the tournament hosts, had big wins over New Zealand and Scotland but suffered a heavy 69-34 loss to France, who were runners-up in 2022.
Hawkins said England do not underestimate Australia despite their recent loss in the 2025 Ashes series. “I’m excited for the pressure,” he said. “We know they have been bringing a decent crowd in and that it is going to be a difficult game with the atmosphere and with the team that we’re facing, but we also know that we are confident to basically go and do our game and stick to our game plan as well.”
The England squad has marked each victory by spray-painting gold on a ladder in their team room. Hawkins said they are focused on taking “one step up the ladder every time” as they prepare for their toughest challenge yet.
The semi-final kick-off is scheduled for 08:45 GMT on Tuesday. England’s performance will determine if they can reach their third World Cup final and edge closer to another title defence.
According to BBC Sports.
