From Amsterdam to Championship Winner: Wesley Groot Becomes First Dutch Recruit

Netherlands Wheelchair Rugby League has its first Dutch recruit — and Wesley Groot’s journey from complete beginner to championship winner shows what could be possible for others.

Born in Amsterdam, raised in Almere and now a Grand Final winner with Rochdale Hornets, Wesley represents an exciting milestone for the developing Netherlands programme.

The Hornets vice-captain brings experience, leadership and a remarkable 2026 scoring record: 23 tries, 103 conversions and 298 points. But his story began with something much simpler — a family outing.

In 2022, Wesley and his wife stopped in Bradford to watch her brother and nephew play wheelchair rugby league. He knew little about rugby and had spent around two decades away from sport.

He went along to training to support the family. Then someone decided he had watched enough.

“You’re not sitting there just watching again for 2 hours. Get yourself in a chair.”

He did. The next two days were painful. But the following week, he returned.

And he kept coming back.

A family on and off the court

A non-disabled player, Wesley discovered a sport he could share with his wife, brother-in-law and nephew — four family members playing together in the same team.

His first match, away at Sheffield, was a tough introduction. The speed and intensity were far beyond anything he had experienced in training. Controlling the chair, handling the ball and reading the game took time.

Gradually, determination became confidence.

By 2024, Wesley had discovered a particular strength: accuracy from the kicking tee. His background in target shooting helped him judge distance and trajectory, giving him a valuable role as Rochdale’s conversion kicker.

When a change of training night forced him and his wife to choose between shooting and rugby league, there was only one answer.

“There was no way we were quitting WhRL.”

That attachment went far beyond sport. When his wife became critically ill, teammates and the wider club supported them through hospital treatment and recovery. The team they loved had become a family they could depend on.

From beginner to champion

In 2025, Wesley scored 204 points as Rochdale reached the Championship Grand Final. Defeat brought disappointment, but also a sense of how far both player and team had progressed.

At the end of that season, he was asked to become vice-captain.

In 2026, Rochdale went one better. They secured the League Leaders’ Shield before beating North Wales Crusaders 42–22 in the Grand Final. Wesley contributed two tries and seven conversions, including the late try and conversion that sealed the victory.

Just four years after first trying the sport, he was a championship winner.

Despite his scoring record, Wesley measures his contribution through the people around him: organising the defence, creating opportunities and helping teammates succeed.

“I will celebrate anyone else’s tries louder than my own.”

A first recruit. An invitation to others.

Wesley now brings that same commitment to the Netherlands as the programme’s first Dutch recruit.

His involvement is a flagship moment: a talented Dutch-born player helping establish a new chapter for the sport in his home country. His journey also offers encouragement to anyone wondering whether they could get involved.

He started with no rugby experience. He learned, persevered and found a sporting community that changed his life.

As Head Coach Jim Dyson and Assistant Coaches Dan Robinson and Ben Dunwell prepare for training to begin in January 2027, the hope is that more Dutch people will follow Wesley’s example — whether they already play wheelchair sport or are discovering it for the first time.

Wesley is the first. Who will be next?

If you have Dutch nationality or heritage and would like to get involved in Netherlands Wheelchair Rugby League, contact jim.dyson@rugbyleague.nl.

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