The 2013 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup was the second staging of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. The tournament was held from 3 July to 13 July 2013 in Gillingham, Kent, England, as part of the 2013 Festival of World Cups. The tournament was won by who defeated the defending champions, , 42âÂÂ40 in the final at the Medway Park Sports Centre to win their first title. Dany Denuwelaere of France was named as the player of the tournament.
In July 2009, it was announced that the 2013 Rugby League World Cup would be held in the United Kingdom. The 2013 World Cup took place in October and November with the 2013 Festival of World Cups being held in July as part of the build-up to the main tournament. This was played at several venues in England and included world cups for armed forces, police, students, women, and wheelchair rugby league.
The venue for the wheelchair competition, Medway Park Sports Centre in Gillingham, was built in the 1970s, but was part of a larger sports complex that had officially reopened in July 2011 following a ã11 million redevelopment. It had hosted inaugural Fassolette-Kielty Trophy match between and in August 2012, with an estimated attendance of 700, though the venue was reported to have a capacity of only 500. The world cup was part of the Medway Festival of Sport which included more than 50 events taking place over a three-month period.
A year before the tournament took place the teams had not been confirmed, but it was suggested that it "would include teams from , , , , , , and, most surprisingly, Malta". In February 2013, when the launch event for the Festival of World Cups took place, it was reported that five teams would take part in the wheelchair tournament. A week later, when Australia first announced their squad, they listed six teams taking part: Australia, England, France, Malta, Scotland and Wales. By April, when the draw for the competition was made, the six teams taking part included Ireland instead of Malta.
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A pre-tournament match took place between France and Australia on 29 June in Nanterre.
The teams were divided into two groups and each played three matches in the group stage: one against each of the two teams in their group and one against a team from the other group. The top two in each group progressed to the semi-finals.