We are delighted to announce that Scotland Rugby League’s Ollie Cruickshank will be heading to this year’s Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, as part of International Rugby League’s Wheelchair Match Officials Squad . In doing so, Ollie will become the first official from Scotland to take the whistle at a Rugby League World Cup.
“I’m excited to be named as part of the match officials squad for the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in November. We have all been working hard, even during this long off season so it is incredibly rewarding to be selected.
“I’m looking forward to working with the other officials in the squad and getting to know the officials from Australia and France. I know a number already as we are part of the RFL wheelchair Match Officials squad and have had bimonthly meetings throughout the last year.
“With 2020 only having a handful of games, I’m looking forward to getting back on the court and officiating this season. The new format of fixtures will allow us to test ourselves more regularly than previous seasons, which will only be a benefit come the World Cup.”
Following a request for nominations from the member nations, International Rugby League (IRL) has selected its Wheelchair Match Officials Squad (WMOS) for Rugby League World Cup2021 to be held in England later this year.
The squad will meet ahead of RLWC2021 in Sheffield for a training camp to prepare for the tournament before being allocated to one of two officiating teams. One team will head to London to cover the group games taking place in the Copper Box Arena while the other team will remain in Sheffield to officiate the group games there.
The full squad is as follows:
Tim Robinson – Australia
Matthew Ball – England
David Butler – England
Laurent Abrial – France
David Roig – France
Ollie Cruickshank – Scotland
Kim Abel – Wales
Lucy Redmond – Wales
The officiating squad will be managed throughout the competition by Alana Sargent of Wales and Steve Abel of England.
International Rugby League’s Match Officials Manager, Stuart Cummings, said:
“RLWC2021 has given IRL an opportunity to develop structures for all forms of the game. The selection of this squad was as competitive as any of the other squads we have named this year and it is evidence of the way that the wheelchair game has developed over the years.
“It’s a great opportunity for the officials in this squad to showcase their talents on the international stage with all games being televised and I look forward to welcoming all match officials to England later on this year”
This is the year of the Rugby League World Cup 2021
The Rugby League World Cup is taking place between the 23 October – 27 November this autumn and is the pinnacle of international Rugby League, globally contested every four years. RLWC2021 will be a breakthrough moment in the tournament’s history with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being staged together for the first time.
The three tournaments will take place in 21 venues across 18 host towns and cities in England. Both the women’s and wheelchair competitions will be contested by two groups of four teams, whilst the men’s tournament will see 16 teams compete across four groups.
RLWC2021 will be the most visible Rugby League event in history with all 61 games in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being broadcast live on the BBC.
Mission: Delivering the biggest and best ever Rugby League World Cup.
Vision: Creating inspirational moments that excite, engage and leave a long-lasting positive social impact.
