Player prepares for World Cup after career reshaped by injury

There are many things to prepare for when playing a game of rugby league. How to break a line, gain an edge or pick a way through a defence.

You don't prepare for one unfortunate tackle to alter the course of your life forever.

In 2020, at the age of 18, while playing for the Narellan Jets in south-west Sydney, Bryce Crane was on the wrong end of a tackle and suffered permanent nerve damage and paralysis of his right arm.

Yet, there was only one thing on his mind.

"You don't really quite understand how much something means to you until it is ripped away," Crane said.

"It's weird to think about but I didn't think about my life, I just thought that I lost the game that I loved growing up playing."

For the love of the game

Crane was told not to worry about the sport. Now, he is preparing for a home World Cup as Australia's Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) star fullback.

Australia will host New Zealand and England in the three-team round-robin tournament which runs from October 30 to November 8 in Sydney.

"It's really exciting to get into the World Cup; we have had a few camps with the squad, so we are getting around knowing each other," Crane said.

It will be his second PDRL World Cup after he starred for Australia in the inaugural edition in 2022.

Despite Australia failing to win a game, Crane's performances earned him a spot in the Rugby League World Cup Dream Team, which also contained players from the men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments.

He was the only PDRL player in the team, and was named alongside fellow Australian internationals Josh Addo-Carr, Cameron Murray and Tarryn Aiken.

In the eyes of his teammates though, he does not just contribute to the team through his talismanic play.

Luke Vella, who is also an NRL assistant coach at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, knows the hallmarks of a top-quality player.

"He is obviously very skilful and has a great ability to play the game, but he is very humble," Vella said.

"He is also very encouraging, there is times I know Bryce can make a break or make a tackle, but he puts others before himself quite often and encourages them and supports them along with their game."

Full circle moment

The final of the tournament will be held at the Sydney Football Stadium before one of the men's semifinals, the biggest stage the game has been played on so far.

Vella was injured at the ground while playing for the Bulldogs' under-20 side in 2014, and should Australia qualify for the decider, he will step onto that field for the first time in a playing role since then.

"It's funny, I haven't really thought about it too much to be honest," Vella said.

"Obviously the stadium got knocked down and rebuilt, it is a little bit different.

"I can't really describe what the emotions would be if we get there and I get the opportunity to play on the field again."

Vella's passion for the game quickly returned after his career-ending injury, and in 2019, he was named head coach of the Bulldogs' under-20s team, giving him a chance to push players to achieve dreams of making the NRL.

After coaching the team to the Jersey Flegg Cup in 2023, he earned his promotion to the first grade coaching ranks for the 2024 season, while balancing his return to playing. 

He made his international debut for Australia against New Zealand in November 2024 in Auckland.

"When I got injured at 20, I fell back in love with it because it got taken away from me," Vella said.

"I love it because my thing for coaching is to develop players and help them achieve their goals, but then the competitive side, running around, throwing the ball around, a bit of contact too.

"All things rugby league, all come back to love."

For Crane and Vella, the pride in representing their country is palpable.

"At the end of the day, I'm not just representing myself, my family, my country, but I'm also representing people with all different types of disabilities," Crane said.

"I feel like that is a pretty cool thing to do."

This content was produced for the ABC's International Day of People with Disability coverage, which runs from November 19 to December 25, 2026.

The ABC is partnering with International Day of People with Disability to recognise the contributions and achievements of the 5.5 million Australians with disability.