IRELAND have finished third in the inaugural Wheelchair Rugby League European Championships at Medway Park in Kent.
England won the tournament ahead of France, but the Irish secured third-place by coming through a tough, nail biting play-off win against Scotland, a close game in which the lead changed hands a number of times.
Ireland had secured the play-off spot through a come-from-behind win against Wales in the final group match and fielded a predominantly young side with a number of debutants over the course of the three-day tournament.
Victory in the third-place play-off was made all the more special as experienced and influential campaigners George Hill and Vicky Irwin where sidelined with injuries picked up in earlier games.
Coach Stewart Walker took to the court to lead his young side to victory, while teenage debutant Dominic Richards was a sensation for Ireland, bagging a flurry of tries and being voted most valuable player of the tournament by the competition’s referees.
