# How Hawkins overcame illness to star for England

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-hawkins-overcame-illness-to-star-for-england/
- Published: 2026-11-09T15:15:06+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T17:53:19+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Sport (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/cmvgxgdqgdgvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Basketball, Celebrity, Entertainment, Sport, UK, World

## Key points

- Hawkins turned an accidental introduction to wheelchair rugby league into an international career.
- He has scored 14 tries for England at this World Cup.
- England meet Australia in the semi-finals as they pursue a third title.

## Summary

Rob Hawkins has become a leading player for England’s wheelchair rugby league team after taking up the sport by chance while recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome. England face Australia in the World Cup semi-finals, seeking to defend their title and become the first nation to win the competition three times.

The 25-year-old Halifax Panthers wing was bedbound for 18 months and missed two years of school, but has since won the International Wheelchair Player of the Year award in 2024 and 2025. He has scored 14 World Cup tries, including a hat-trick against Ireland, as England topped Pool A with wins over Wales, the USA and Ireland; Australia reached the semi-final after a loss to France.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.