Wheelchair Challenge Cup: Catalans Dragons beat Wigan Warriors 81-18 to retain trophy | Rugby League News

Catalans Dragons ensured the Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup remains in Perpignan with an 81-18 win over Wigan Warriors in the final at the English Institute of Sport; Player of the match and France international Jeremy Bourson led the way for the Dragons with four tries

Four tries from Jeremy Bourson helped Catalans Dragons retain the Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup with a resounding 81-18 win over Wigan Warriors at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Man of the match Bourson opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute, acrobatically collecting Nico Claussels’ cross, and the France international rounded off the first half with his hat-trick in the 32nd minute, with another individual brace. pure skill and speed.

Between those tries, Clausells followed up his own seemingly innocuous kick to steal a try from under the noses of the Warriors defence, Arno Vargas completed a flowing move for his eye-catching first hat-trick and Bourson pounced for his second before the Warriors be overtaken on the spot.

“It’s great to have won it again,” said Catalans captain and England international Seb Bechara. “I said before that winning the Challenge Cup last year meant a lot to me and the rest of the boys.

“We forced a few too many passes in the first half but in the end it was a good performance. It’s great to go home with the cup again.”

Trailing 22-0, Wigan needed inspiration and it came through skipper Dec Roberts, whose 17th minute try and conversion reduced the gap to 16 points. That deficit was further reduced when Adam Rigby got on the end of a superb team move just three minutes later.

But 12-22 was as good as it got for the Warriors and with Clausells and Bourson scoring again before the break, the trophy was already halfway to Perpignan with the Dragons 34-12 ahead.

In the second half, the Dragons treated the 400-plus crowd to a try-scoring exhibition, with World Cup winner Bechara scoring his first hat-trick in the 41st minute – his 72nd-minute try to end the half being the pick of the game. the pile as he showed amazing speed to burst through the Warriors’ ranks.

There were further tries from Vargas, Bourson, Dore and Nico Clausells, plus a drop goal from the latter’s uncle Gilles, with Wigan only having a late consolation from Jack Heggie to show for their efforts.

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