A wheelchair warrior - Evans finds new place in rugby

Wales rugby league international Brogan Evans thought her dreams had come true when she signed for Women's Super League side Wigan Warriors 18 months ago.

But sport, as it often does, struck the cruellest of blows when the forward suffered a career-threatening injury just a few games into the season.

After coming through surgery to reconstruct her knee, further complications emerged in her spine and Evans admits it is "highly unlikely" she will ever return to the running game.

"I was crushed, I can't express what a massive part of my life rugby was," the 29-year-old said.

"I was in hospital all over the new year [2025] and I can't express how lost I felt, then I saw a poster to give wheelchair rugby a go."

After just a couple of training sessions, Evans was invited into the Wales camp and is now set to make her international rugby league wheelchair debut in Saturday's Celtic Cup.

The annual competition sees Wales take on reigning champions Ireland and Scotland at Cardiff Metropolitan University (11:00 BST).

Evans will actually make a bit of history as she will become the first player to win a senior international cap in more than one major rugby league discipline.

"It's all happened so fast, it's been a bit of a whirlwind," she said.

"I know rugby, the game in essence is the same, what I lack is chair control. I have been training so hard ahead of Celtic, hiring sports halls two or three times a week in prep. I don't want to make a fool of myself or let my team-mates down."

But Wales head coach Alan Caron has no qualms in including Evans in his squad.

"Brogan's work-rate in the build-up to this tournament has been second to none. She's been putting in extra sessions to improve her chair skills and she scored a well-worked try for Salford last weekend," Caron said.

"Her ball skills are already there of course, and the fact she won multiple awards in the women's game a couple of years ago just proves what she can accomplish. I know she'll grip this opportunity with both hands."

Evans said it was an emotional transition from running to wheelchair rugby and admits to shedding a few tears in her first session with Wales.

"As fun as it was, there is a real possibility that one day I won't be able to just stand up from the wheelchair after a game, and that was daunting and terrifying," she said.

"I was convinced my life would be over but, through this, I have met the most incredible people.

"One of my favourite Welsh team-mates is paralysed and his life is incredible. He is the most abled and least disabled person I have ever met. His life gives me hope about my future.

"I'm actually okay about the whole thing now, whether I end up in a chair permanently or whether I don't, there is a place for me. A new rugby family."

While Evans' initial dream of competing at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup may be over, she still hopes to play at a major tournament, and even one day compete at the Paralympics Games "in one sport or another".

Evans is part of Wales' 10-player mixed squad and she will not be the only one to break records on Saturday.

Jodie Boyd-Ward will become the sport's most capped player when she leads Wales out at Archers Arena.

The 32-year-old is currently on 44 international appearances, level with Welshman Harry Jones.

"It truly is an honour to be asked to captain Wales for the Celtic Cup, especially as it's an opportunity to lead the squad out and look to reclaim the trophy," Boyd-Ward said.

"Last year, I knew after an amazing tour to the US, that I needed to take some time out after not taking a break for the whole of my wheelchair rugby league career.

"Now I'm back and feeling better than ever, I'm looking forward to getting stuck in with the team and also seeing how both Scotland and Ireland have continued their development, as I know we have at Wales."

Wales' World Cup captain from 2022, Stuart Williams, is named as vice-captain.

The 40-year-old, who is Wales' record international try scorer with 66, returns to the side after missing last year's Wales matches.