Royal approval: England Wheelchair RL World Cup heroes congratulated by Princess of Wales at Palace reception

The squad - including Leeds Rhinos’ Nathan Collins, Tom Halliwell and James Simpson - were invited to a reception hosted by Catherine, who is patron of the Rugby Football League, at Hampton Court Palace today (Thursday).

The Princess was introduced to the England players, support staff and other invited guests by RFL chairman Simon Johnson and England coach Tom Coyd.

Halliwell captained England in November’s final and was named man of the match after scoring a brace of tries, including the last-gasp winner.

He said: “It was amazing to meet her and speak to her and especially to hear she’d watched the World Cup final with her children and they’d all enjoyed watching us win.”

A letter from the Princess congratulating the team on their World Cup triumph is on display at the RFL’s headquarters in Manchester.

It reads: “I wanted to send my congratulations to you all on your incredible success at the recent Rugby League World Cup!

“Your dedication to your sport, and commitment to your teammates and fans, shone through at every stage of the competition. It was an absolute delight to follow your progress and I am so thrilled that you have become champions!

“I have no doubt that your efforts and achievements in the lead up to and during this World Cup will have created an incredible legacy which will be felt within the sport for years to come.

“I hope you are now able to tackle a break and enjoy spending time with your friends and family over the coming weeks. Many congratulations again!”