Father and son to play together for Wales for the first time at Wheelchair World Cup
Martin Turner will play alongside his son Matthew for Wales for the first time when Wales face New Zealand in the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup fifth-place play-off semi-final in Wollongong. Kick-off is 11am local time, midnight on Sunday into Monday in Wales.
Wales v New Zealand
- Kick-off (GMT)
- Midnight
- Boyd-Ward caps
- 50th
- Higgins Wales goals
- 158
- Previous meetings
- 0
Martin has been promoted from the reserves to the eight-player squad for his first World Cup appearance, with Matthew keeping his place after scoring his 50th try of the season on Friday. Wales Rugby League says it is the first time a father and son have been in a Wales team together at a World Cup.
Boyd-Ward and the milestones
Jodie Boyd-Ward returns after being rested for the USA game and is set to become the first player in the world to reach 50 international Wheelchair Rugby League appearances. The Leeds Rhinos captain has played 20 times for Wales, seven for Ireland and 22 for England.
Andrew Higgins and Stuart Williams are each set to win a 40th Wales cap. Higgins, Wales' top goal scorer, is on 158 for his country and is Wales' third-highest try scorer with 56, three behind second place. Williams scored his 76th and 77th tries against the USA, extending his Wales record. Sid Ramsey and Mark Williams also return after Wales beat the USA 92-18.
A first meeting with the Wheel Kiwis
It is the first Wheelchair Rugby League meeting between Wales and New Zealand, on a rivalry that goes back to the first international rugby league match between two nations in 1908. The winners go into the fifth-place play-off. The losers play for seventh.
Head coach Alan Caron said: "It's particularly pleasing to have Martin and Matthew together in the side, it's great that they'll finally get the chance to play alongside each other for Wales for the first time." He said Wales had never played New Zealand in this form of the game and were looking forward to facing the haka. "We've got two matches left in the tournament and our aim is to finish fifth."
Wales squad to face New Zealand
Sid Ramsey (Sheffield Eagles); Fionn McCabe (North Wales Crusaders); Andrew Higgins (Birmingham Hurricanes); Jodie Boyd-Ward (Leeds Rhinos); Stuart Williams (Edinburgh Giants / North Wales Crusaders); Matthew Turner (Wigan Warriors / North Wales Crusaders); Mark Williams (Wigan Warriors / South Wales Jets); Martin Turner (North Wales Crusaders). Reserves: Jonathan Gill (North Wales Crusaders) and John Berriman (York RLFC).