TORFAEN Tigers have launched a wheelchair rugby league team with the aim of competing in a proposed league in South Wales next year.

Earlier this week it was announced that Wales Rugby League have become one of the 26 national governing bodies accepted onto Disability Sport Wales' insport programme.

The Tigers have been active in Wales as a men's side since the first modern community WRL season of 2003, reaching a UK national final in that first season and winning the Welsh title in 2013.

They currently run two men's open age sides along with boys' junior sides at U12, U14 and U16 levels. They were also planning a women's side for 2020 before coronavirus put a temporary halt to the season and those plans.

The Wales wheelchair national side is ranked third in the world after winning four successive Celtic Cup titles from 2016 to 2019 and are set to have a bigger pool of players with more new clubs launching soon.

Wales Wheelchair assistant coach Lyndon Price, who will coach the Tigers, said: "It's an extremely exciting time to be involved in this, the most inclusive variant of wheelchair rugby.

"Gareth Kear, the CEO of Wales Rugby League, is determined in his vision to expand Wheelchair Rugby League in South Wales to increase participation both locally, and via the selection process, the international player pool. I am delighted to be part of this vision.

"Having already conducted a market research exercise, I've seen that there is already a keen player base around Torfaen, and I can't wait to meet them for the first time on court for a good push.

"I am immensely proud to have been asked to coach this new team and I look forward to working closely with Matt Cummins, the Tigers' enthusiastic chairman."

Torfaen Tigers' chairman Matt Cummins said: "I'm over the moon to be able to launch the Torfaen Tigers Wheelchair team. We as a club always try to be as inclusive, and the opportunity to start a Wheelchair Rugby League team to offer more opportunities for our local community was one we couldn't pass up.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have someone as passionate and knowable as Lyndon joining us to lead the clubs new team and he has been a fundamental driving force in getting this off the ground.

"We are thrilled to be the first community club in Wales to launch a Wheelchair Rugby League team, and we are excited to be a big part of the growth in the sport in Wales."

Next year there will be community clubs in Cardiff, Bridgend, the Rhondda, Aberavon, Caerphilly and Torfaen, playing in both WRL and RFL wheelchair competitions, as well as delivering taster sessions throughout south and east Wales.

Wheelchair Rugby League is an inclusive sport, so it can be played by anyone. The rules are nearly identical to the running game of rugby league with slight adaptations.

It's five-a-side, played on an indoor court with a slightly smaller ball and and a player must remove a tag from the shoulder of an opponent to tackle them.

For more details on Torfaen Tigers Wheelchair RL, contact Lyndon Price at lyndon.price@rugbyleague.wales.