Hawkins, Ponga and Waaka win Golden Boot awards

Rob Hawkins earned the distinction of being named Wheels of Steel winner, marking him as the English rugby league's wheelchair player of the year in September. This marks his third consecutive win of the International Rugby League's wheelchair Golden Boot award, a testament to his continued dominance in the sport. Hawkins, aged 25, is the first player in any form of rugby league to achieve this feat.

He is also only the second player in rugby league history, after Australia and Queensland great Johnathan Thurston, to win the Golden Boot award three times. New Zealand full-back Kalyn Ponga claimed the men's Golden Boot award, while New Zealand's Stacey Waaka was awarded the women's Golden Boot. Hawkins is set to participate in the England team, aiming to retain the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup against France, scheduled for Friday at 08:45 BST.

He outperformed competitors like England teammate Joe Coyd, and France players Jeremy Bourson, Nicolas Clausells, and Dany Denuwelaere to secure the award. Other nominees included Ireland captain Joe Calcott, Australia's Bayley McKenna, and Adam Tannock. Hawkins has scored 19 tries during the World Cup for England, with five of them coming in their semi-final victory over Australia.

Ponga delivered a standout performance in New Zealand's 34-10 semi-final win over Tonga, just 23 days after recovering from a broken forearm. She also contributed to New Zealand's 19-18 loss to Sydney Roosters in the NRL Grand Final. Dual-code international Stacey Waaka, 31, scored a hat-trick in New Zealand's 32-0 semi-final victory over Samoa.

Waaka is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a Commonwealth Games champion in rugby sevens, in addition to her bronze medal in rugby union at the 2025 World Cup. The award recipients were announced in Brisbane, and several rugby legends were selected as the inaugural inductees into the IRL Hall of Legends, including Sir Billy Boston, the first rugby league player to be knighted, and others.