Wales wheelchair rugby league arrive stateside ahead of USA meetings

Wales’ wheelchair rugby league side have landed stateside as they prepare for their two games against the USA.

It will be the first ever wheelchair rugby league matches to be played in the Americas.

Alex Powell from Penpedairheol, and Ian Golden from Caerphilly, have travelled with the side to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the Welsh will be taking on the United States national side in two full international matches on February 2 and 3.

Powell, 29, began playing wheelchair rugby league for Torfaen Tigers last year.

A former rugby union youth player with Nelson and the Dragons, Powell used to play alongside former Bedwas RFC and Dragons player, Jack Dixon, before an injury to his right leg broke his tibia and fibia.

In 2019, Powell was run over by a car and fractured his ankle in three places. After the accident, he developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, which means he now walks with a stick.

In addition to playing wheelchair rugby league for Torfaen Tigers, he also turns out for the Dragons in their version of wheelchair rugby.

Meanwhile, 52-year-old Mr Golden is autistic and thanks Wales wheelchair rugby for accepting him. After initially getting involved with the side a few years ago, he became the media manager during the World Cup in 2022.

Mr Golden has written reports and news releases for Wales Rugby League for more than 20 years and holds a part-time position at the organisation.

The Welsh side warmed up for this tour by beating the Army last month in Cwmbran. 

Wales head coach Alan Caron said: “We’ve had a run-through of the things we want to do in the games. The captains are happy, the vice-captains are happy, the players feel really good, so fingers crossed it’ll be a great first game tomorrow, I’m looking forward to it.

“We need to look at how we started against the Army and then review and see how we move forward. We’ve had a couple of good days here training and we can put these little things that we worked on in the Army game, into the matches against USA.”

Caron continued: “This is an amazing venue here in Myrtle Beach. It’s like three or four leisure centres in one, literally, it’s an eight-court basketball facility. You’ve got volleyball facilities. Each court is about four or five times the size of our leisure centres back home.

“It’s a fantastic area as well, it’s very flat so good for wheelchairs, the beaches are lovely and the people are friendly. It’ll be an amazing place to hold a World Cup in the future.”