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Wigan wheelchair coach Chris Greenhalgh hopes his team can emulate Matty Peet’s World Club Challenge winners to become rugby league global premiers.
The Warriors, who won last season’s Wheelchair Super League title, face French champions Catalans Dragons in Saturday’s European Wheelchair Rugby League Club Championship at Wigan’s Robin Park (kick-off 18.00 BST).
In February, Peet’s men beat Penrith Panthers to win the World Club Challenge; now it is the turn of Greenhalgh’s group.
“As a team and for the club, this is massive,” Greenhalgh told BBC Sport.
“We won our Super League title the day after the men won theirs, and after their World Club Challenge success it is a chance to match them again.”
England and France have been the dominant nations in men’s wheelchair rugby league for many years, making this weekend’s match a world club championship in all but name.
“As players we are all Wigan fans so the opportunity to represent the club is huge and it feels like we are part of one club,” Greenhalgh said.
“Matty Peet came to one of our training sessions ahead of our Grand Final and the first message I got after we won the final was from the chief executive Kris Radlinski.
“We have only been affiliated with Wigan for two years so we are probably a bit ahead of schedule and it is a huge challenge for us, but it is an amazing opportunity to play arguably the best club team in the world in Catalans.”
In last year’s inaugural game, Halifax Panthers travelled to France and drew 32-32 with the Dragons and this game is the opening match of the season for the Warriors who surprised the Leeds Rhinos 50-42 in October to claim their first Super League title.
Greenhalgh, a former wheelchair basketball player who took over as coach from Phil Roberts early last season, knows his side will go in as underdogs again against a Dragons outfit who are also the Challenge Cup holders.
Catalans feature a number of France internationals, including Golden Boot winner Jeremy Bourson, plus England World Cup winner Seb Bechara.
The Warriors will look to captain Declan Roberts and his fellow World Cup winner Adam Rigby, as well as Martin Lane and American international Matt Wooloff, but Greenhalgh has had to plan without England international Jack Heggie, who is unavailable for Saturday’s game.
Roberts, who retired from international duty after England’s World Cup victory in 2022 and was player of the match in the Grand Final win, will be a key figure for the Warriors.
Greenhalgh appreciates the 26-year-old’s importance, saying: “For me, Dec is the most creative playmaker in the country in the wheelchair game and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else in that position.
“He is our captain and our leader and has an incredible rugby brain. He leads our offense and sees things that others don’t and is reliable and has an incredible kicking percentage.”
A new addition is Roberts’ younger brother Nathan, who played for the reserves last year. With their father Phil also in the squad, there is a possibility of the trio all being on court together.
“There is no hiding how strong Catalans are and they play the game at an intensity above any other team in this country,” Greenhalgh adds.
“They have had a good, consistent team for the last five or six years. They have strong players like Seb and Jeremy, who also play in the Super League with Halifax and who we know well and have plenty of experience too.
“Their speed is just phenomenal to watch and as players we need to be switched on to that. It gives us a different challenge and a different thing to think about but we are looking forward to it.”
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