The biggest-ever variants festival for Rugby League took place in Blackpool on Saturday, with over 600 people taking part.
It featured Touch, Masters, Wheelchair, Learning Disability and Physical Disability Rugby League, with Wakefield Trinity Community Trust fielding both LDRL and PDRL teams on the day.
Learning Disability Rugby League was showcased with Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity, Widnes Vikings, St Helens, Warrington Wolves bringing 75 players across to the coast.
And 80 Physical Disability Rugby League players – from Wakefield, Castleford, Leeds and World Champions Warrington – had the chance to showcase their skills.
The Physical Disability competition began first with the Wakefield vs Castleford derby match and the first meeting between the two sides.
Captain Darren Dean opened the scoring for Trinity but as the clock wound down towards the final whistle an error by Full-Back Chris Hall allowed the ball to bounce over him and was touched down by the Tigers. The game finished 4-4.
Next up was World Champions, Warrington Wolves, who had only stepped off a plane a few days prior and were supposedly jaded. Despite Wakefield Trinity being in control for much of the game, a late Wil Maudsley try for Warrington settled a 12-12 draw between the two teams.
Needing a win against Leeds Rhinos to have the opportunity to progress to the final saw plenty of passion and emotion from both sides. This was the third game for both teams and tiredness was starting to show. Wakefield did indeed grab the win by four points but despite remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament it was Castleford Tigers and Warrington Wolves who battled for the trophy in the Final.
It was a game that was settled by the ‘Golden Try’ when Wil Maudsley took a ball out wide and sprinted into open space to touch down in the corner. Warrington had secured another trophy, their second within two weeks’ of their World Club Challenge victory over South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The LDRL tournament was a keenly contested affair enjoyed by all, Trinity were competitive throughout but again failed to make the final.
In the final it was Hull KR vs Warrington Wolves and eventually won by the Wire to complete the double and further heap praise on the disability provision of their Foundation.
Wakefield Trinity PDRL will be in action again on Friday 21st September when they face Castleford Tigers in a curtain raiser to the Super League fixture between the two teams.
Kick off will be approximately 6pm at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle, Castleford.