CLASH OF THE BIRDS
Louise Anderbjörk
On the 20th of June, London Roosters welcomed Sheffield Eagles to Barking Sports House for their fourth fixture of the 2026 Betfred Wheelchair Super League season. This is a sport that has seen an exciting growth in the past years, not least after it caught the public eye with England’s fantastic Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup victory over France in 2022.
The game itself is very similar to the running game of wheelchair rugby league; so similar, in fact, it is known as one of the sports with the lowest barriers between the able-bodied and disabled disciplines. Played with teams of five on an indoor court, it mirrors the six tackle to try structure of the running game, with tackles completed by removing a Velcro shoulder tag from the ball carrier. Another aspect that adds to the inclusivity of the sport is that teams can be mixed gender, have no age-limits, and can have both able-bodied players and disabled athletes playing at the same time. As London Roosters player, founder, and England international squad member Lewis King put it: “I love it so much for the inclusivity. Once you're in a chair, it’s a levelled playing field for all.”
With London Roosters and Sheffield Eagles being two big names in the world of wheelchair rugby league, this clash on the Roosters home turf in Barking was set to be a high-quality display of the sport with a lot of stakes in the game. Founded in 2022, the London Roosters have quickly established themselves as one of the strongest teams in the league, finishing runners-up in last year’s Super League Grand Final against Halifax Panthers and eager to now progress their winning streak of this season into a league win this summer. Sheffield Eagles, meanwhile, has had a tough start to the season, but were sure to put up a fight to defend their quick rise to the top leagues since the wheelchair team’s launch in 2021.
Photo: Louise Anderbjörk
The afternoon began with a reserves match between the two teams’ development squads. Although reserve matches do not contribute towards league standings, they remain a key part of the sports’ player development, and London's convincing 64-6 victory highlighted the strength of the club's pathway. The reserves then left the court for the first teams to start their warm ups and more families, friends, and curious passers-by started filling the sidelines of the sports hall in time for the 2:30 pm Super League kick-off.
The warm-up was a perfect opportunity to look through the coverage of the first match, and plan ahead for the second. From a photographer's perspective, wheelchair rugby league is a very technically demanding sport to cover. Indoor sports halls leave little room for error, as freezing the speed of the chairs requires a fast shutter speed, but increasing it too far quickly forces the ISO into noisy territory. Equally, constantly re-positioning throughout the match is key. Sitting directly behind the try line with a wide lens can produce dramatic images as players race towards the camera to score, provided you are ready to move very quickly out of the way once the try is scored. Similarly, working diagonally from a corner with a telephoto lens offers a better view of defence play and tackles.
Photo: Louise Anderbjörk
Photo: Louise Anderbjörk
As soon as the ball had been set in motion for the Super League game, Sheffield put pressure on London. Their defence was strong and they put everything into matching the Roosters for intensity early on, with the England squad players disturbed across both teams leading the pace of the game. Eventually, however, London’s experience and stamina began to show, as the momentum became progressively more one-sided before London finally pulled away to secure a 72-24 victory. Reflecting on the performance afterwards, Lewis King revealed that the result had unfolded almost exactly as planned. "We expected it to be a contest like last time we played them, and that is what we got," he said. "We let them show their all for the first 25 minutes, then we pushed back, got on the front foot, and just played the rest of the game." With that, four out of four games this season have been won by the Roosters, and all attention now turns to the next match against the reigning champions Halifax Panthers.
Celebrating the win, Lewis King also shared his passion for the future of the sport. "We are constantly trying to grow the sport," he explained, “and the small clubs are so important. They get people from the lower levels and schools into the sport and put them through a pathway towards the Super League." Importantly, greater media coverage is part of that pathway too. The quality of the rugby on display during this fixture deserves a far wider audience, we should really put more effort into showcasing the athleticism and community of this sport to people.
This article is part of the PRISMA Editorial Series ‘Reframing the Game’