Wales Wheelchair and Cardiff Demons aim for glory on Sunday

The squads have been named for the eighth Wheelchair Celtic Cup, which takes place at the Oriam Performance Centre, Edinburgh on Sunday. Wales are the holders, having won all the seven tournaments they have entered, Ireland beating Scotland in the inaugural two-nation encounter in 2015.

Ireland and Scotland kick the day off at noon, followed by Wales v Ireland at 2pm, with Scotland v Wales rounding the gruelling day off at 4pm. All are full 80-minute matches.

The Welsh, whose opening game against Ireland will be their 50^th wheelchair international – second only behind England – have Torfaen Tigers’ Alex Powell on debut. whilst Harry Jones is set to become the most capped player for an individual Wales side, as well as the world’s most capped player.

Alan Caron takes over as head coach for a second stint, Stephen Jones moving to team manager.  “We’re going through a full transition of how we move forward,” said Caron. “Hopefully we can retain a Cup that means so much to us. Ireland will show a lot of promise and Scotland are moving up the ranks, especially now they have a Wheelchair Premier League.”

The hosts give debuts to former BBC Newsround presenter Martin Dougan, who has previously played Wheelchair Basketball for Scotland, Calum Davidson who has taken up Wheelchair RL after injury ended his rugby union playing career, and Olivia Fulton, a former Scotland Lacrosse national team player. Graeme Stewart, heritage number 1, looks to become their most-capped player and Daniel Grant is named as the new captain.

Ireland head coach Phil Roberts, in his first game in charge since taking over from Damian McCabe who switches to team manager, names a number of new players. He has called up four debutants, Joe Calcott, Mel Griffith, Cian Horgan and Matt Wooloff from Wigan, who switches allegiance after playing for USA in the RLWC, and includes two teenagers, Cian Horgan and Oran Spain, who made his debut in the World Cup.

At the same time as Wales kick off their match against Ireland, 200 miles further south, Cardiff Demons will be playing in their biggest match to date – the quarter-finals of the Women’s Rugby League Challenge Cup, away at York Valkyrie this Sunday (kick-off 2pm).

This is the first season that a Welsh side has entered the Women’s Challenge Cup, so to find themselves just two games from Wembley, having beaten two Super League sides already, is a magnificent achievement.

But this will be a tough task for Cardiff to overcome one of the competition favourites. York finished top of the Women’s Super League last year, losing in the Grand Final, and were runners-up in the Challenge Cup in 2021.

The further any Welsh side has ever reached in the men’s competition is the quarter-finals, achieved by Merthyr Tydfil in 1908 and Ebbw Vale in 1910, both losing their ties by the same scoreline of 8-2. North Wales Crusaders reached the semi-finals of the Wheelchair version in 2019.

Head coach Ian Newbury said: “It’s exciting, we set targets at the start of the season and we’re working towards them. We’ve a hard challenge ahead of us, but it’s an exciting moment for the club. York have come out firing this year and they really are standard setters at the minute – the match will give us an indication of where we need to be. We don’t go into a game thinking we can’t win it, it’s cup rugby and anything can happen on the day.”

Scotland Squad

Calum Davidson, Olivia Fulton (Edinburgh Giants), Paul Hartley, Neil Johnston, Pete Lauder, Graeme Stewart, Cadyn Thomson, John Willans (Glasgow Rugby League) Daniel Grant, Michael Grant (Gravesend Dynamite) Martin Dougan (Rochdale Hornets) Callum Young (Warrington Wolves)

Ireland Squad

Peter Johnston (C), Rick Rodgers (Argonauts), Joe Calcott (Halifax Panthers), Toby Burton-Carter (Warrington Wolves), Matt Wooloff (Wigan Warriors), Paddy Forbes, Mel Griffith, Cian Horgan, James McCarthy (VC), Phil Roberts, Oran Spain (unattached).

Wales Squad

Gary Preece, Martin Lane, (Hereford Harriers), Scott Trigg-Turner (London Roosters), Harry Jones, Lucie Roberts, Mason Baker, Stephen Halsey, Stuart Williams, (North Wales Crusaders), Alex Powell, Lee Sargent, (Torfaen Tigers), Mark Williams, (Wigan Warriors)

Cardiff Demons Named Side

Eleri Michael, Jasmine Gibbons, Elinor Issac, Ashlea Prescott, Zoe Heeley, Shaunni Davies, Rhi Parker, Lauren Aitken, Amy Price, Sara Jones, Charlie Mundy, Ffion Jones (C), Joeann McGuire. Subs: Robyn Gulley, Sophie Solari, Ffion Jenkins, Rania Koutsikou. 18th: Leanne Burnell