Catalans thrash Wigan to win Wheelchair Challenge Cup final

Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final

Catalans (34) 81

Tries: Bourson 4, N Clausells 3, Vargas 3, Bechara 3, Dore Goals: N Clausells 4, Bechara, G Clausells 7 Drop-goal: G Clausells

Wigan (12) 18

Tries: D Roberts, Rigby 2 Goals: D Roberts 2, Heggie

Catalans Dragons stormed to a 2nd successive Wheelchair Challenge Cup title arsenic they thrashed reigning Super League champions Wigan Warriors successful Sheffield.

Jeremy Bourson collapsed successful 3 times and Nico Clausells went complete doubly arsenic Catalans led 34-12 astatine nan break, pinch Dec Roberts and Adam Rigby replying for Wigan.

Les Dracs' skipper Sebastien Bechara completed a 2nd half hat-trick, having scored his first little than a infinitesimal aft nan restart, while Arno Vargas besides registered a treble of his own.

Bourson went successful for his 4th and Damien Dore sewage his sanction connected nan scoresheet earlier Rigby added his 2nd arsenic a precocious consolation for Wigan, but Nico Clausells went successful to complete his hat-trick successful nan last seconds.

Catalans had already brushed speech Wigan to go wheelchair rugby league's first outright European nine champions successful April.

However nan Warriors went into nan crippled aft triumphing 48-30 against past year's runners-up Leeds Rhinos in nan semi-final.

Nico Clausells hit Roberts successful nan build-up to rubbing down pinch conscionable millimetres to spare for Les Dracs' 2nd effort of nan day aft Bourson had sewage them going.

Catalans did not tally retired of steam successful a stunning first half showing and were 3 tries up wrong conscionable 12 minutes erstwhile they worked nan shot laterally to Vargas who dotted down astatine nan area pursuing a flowing squad move.

Bourson swept successful for a solo effort to adhd his second, and Catalans' fourth, earlier nan break but Roberts' powerful score, followed by a clever Wigan move to nonstop Rigby done trim nan deficit.

The Dragons were not done earlier half-time, however, and Nico raced successful for different solo effort and Bourson wrapped up his hat-trick successful style arsenic he flowed done from nan correct to stun nan Warriors.

The French broadside picked up from wherever they near disconnected courtesy of Bechara's quickfire double, nan 2nd of which came courtesy of immoderate stunning activity from Bourson successful nan build-up.

Vargas' hat-trick followed a Victor Puly offload and a clever move into nan area but nan prime of nan bunch for Catalans came arsenic Gilles Clausells punted nan shot heavy into nan Wigan half to tee up Bourson's fourth.

A objective capacity continued, pinch Dore coolly going done for Catalans' 12th effort and Bechara put successful a lung-busting pursuit to people nether nan posts to wrap up nan triumph successful style - but location was still clip for Nico Clausells to information things off.

Catalans Dragons skipper Sebastien Bechara told BBC Sport:

"We ever emotion winning. We train difficult each twelvemonth round, we train difficult each year. We often get rather a batch of occurrence and erstwhile it happens we're really thrilled.

"We ever talk astir being really connected arsenic a team. We train truthful good together and I deliberation that makes a quality erstwhile we're connected nan pitch.

"We wanted that caput commencement and we kept drilling it successful and it was a awesome performance."

Catalans: Bechara, G Clausells, N Clausells, Bourson, Vargas, Dore, Puly, Hivernat, Lacombe.

Wigan: Greenhalgh, Lane, N Roberts, Heggie, D Roberts, Rigby, P Roberts, Williams, Burton-Carter.

Referee: Ollie Cruickshank.