Golden Boot winner backing Wheelaroos for RLWC26 final

England Wheelchair star Rob Hawkins, the first player in any form of rugby league to win back-to-back Golden Boot awards, has publicly backed the Wheelaroos to qualify for next year's World Cup final.

Hawkins, the 2024 IRL Golden Boot winner, was voted the International Rugby League Player of the Year for a second consecutive year after helping England to a 2-0 win in the recent Wheelchair Ashes Series on the Gold Coast.

The world champions had to come from behind in both Tests against an improved Australian team and Hawkins believes the next time the two nations meet could be the RLWC26 final on November 14 at Win Entertainment Centre.

“With the way Australia have improved since the last time we faced them in the World Cup, I am really hoping for an England-Australia final,” Hawkins said.

“I would love to have that. It would be great for the sport, especially with how big rugby league is in Australia."

For that to happen, England would need to finish top of their pool against Ireland, USA and Wales, and hope fourth-ranked Australia finish fourth in the other pool against France, New Zealand and Scotland.

Both teams would then need to win their semi-finals against the second-placed teams in the opposite pool for an England- Australia final.  

“We have got a lot of challenges in our group," Hawkins said. "Ireland have been improving these past few years; with the USA, we don’t know how they have trained and how they have performed the last few years since the last World Cup and we have also got Wales, who besides Celtic Cup games we don’t really see much of them,” 

“I like that there is a bit of a sense where they are keeping things secret because it keeps us honest and keeps us on our game.”

Hawkins has declared that his feat of becoming the first player to win back-to-back IRL Golden Boot awards is an example of how the Wheelchair game is blazing a trail in rugby league.

The 23-year-old joined Andrew Johns (1999, 2001), Darren Lockyer (2003, 2006), Johnathan Thurston (2011, 2013, 2015) and Cameron Smith (2007, 2017) as the only players to have won two or more Golden Boot awards.

However, none of the Kangaroos greats did so in consecutive years.

Lockyer, who presented the Men’s award to Australian hooker Harry Grant, was among the guests who marvelled at a highlights package of Hawkins in the recent Ashes Series against the Wheelaroos which was shown at the Golden Boot presentation in Brisbane on Friday.

Hawkins was presented with his second Golden Boot hours later in Halifax by Wheelchair Rugby League pioneer Malcolm Kielty.

“To think that when the trophy made it’s inauguration in the 1980s, and no one has won it back-to-back before, it’s an honour not just for myself, but for the Wheelchair game,” Hawkins said.

“We are breaking down barriers, like we always do, and to have that bit of history under my name is special.”

Hawkins described the achievement as the highlight of his career so far after being chosen as the 2025 Golden Boot winner for his performances against Australia on the Gold Coast.

Kielty, IRL Wheelchair Advisory Group Chair Niel Wood, long serving Wheelchair player, coach and referee David Butler, NRL Wheelchair Chair Darren Gocher and former Wheelchair Australia Chair Martin were the 2025 judges.

“Naming a lot of firsts in my career I think the one that will stand out is this one,” he said.

“I am still in shock, and I am still a bit emotional in a happy way, because I know how close and how hard that decision would have been, but I am just really happy that it’s come out for myself so I can call myself the first ever back-to-back Golden Boot winner.”

Hawkins paid tribute to his mother Joanna and partner Emily for their role in his success.

“My mum has supported me from the first day that not only I got my disability but from the first day that I started playing this sport. She took a lot of time to drive me up and down the country to get to games,” he said.

“I can’t thank her enough and I know she is my biggest supporters, alongside my partner Emily. We have been together now for years and when she is not playing sports herself she is coming to support me nd she has got really connected with the team.

‘It’s good to see how rugby league turns into a family game so quickly and whether they are playing or not families are welcome.”