Halifax Panthers LDSL and PDRL Team

06/09/2026

🏉💙 A FEW WORDS FROM OUR LEAD & HEAD COACH — Craig Serbert-Smith 💙🏉

“That’s it… another PDRL and LDSL season behind us.”

As I sit back and reflect on everything these teams have achieved this season, I honestly couldn’t be prouder.

Having the privilege of leading and coaching both of these amazing teams is something I never take for granted.

For our PDRL team, this season was a huge step forward — our very first competitive season. We started this journey with a group of players who were still finding their feet, and what followed was incredible growth, improvement, determination and belief.

There have been tough games, difficult moments, injuries, defeats and plenty of challenges along the way. But every single time, these players got back up, supported each other and kept going.

And that’s what makes me so proud.

Then there’s our LDSL team…

Well, what can I say? ❤️

Watching these players grow throughout the season has been genuinely incredible.

I've watched confidence grow, friendships develop, skills improve and players discover a belief in themselves that perhaps wasn't always there at the start.

They've represented Halifax Panthers with pride every single time they've stepped onto that pitch.

But what makes me proudest isn't the results.

It's seeing players smiling.

It's seeing them encourage each other.

It's seeing them make friends.

It's seeing them walk onto a rugby pitch knowing they belong there.

That's what inclusive rugby means to me.

It's about giving people an opportunity, giving them a voice, giving them a team and creating somewhere they can feel accepted for exactly who they are.

To every single PDRL and LDSL player:

Thank you for trusting me to be part of your journey.

Thank you for turning up.

Thank you for giving everything.

Thank you for making me laugh, occasionally drive me absolutely mad 😂, and most importantly, thank you for making me unbelievably proud.

To our coaches, volunteers, families, supporters and everyone behind the scenes — thank you for everything you've done to make this season possible.

And finally, to my fellow coaches and the people who have stood beside me throughout this journey — this is something we should all be incredibly proud of.

The season may be over…

But the journey certainly isn't.

We've only just begun. 💙🐾🏉

— Craig Serbert-Smith

Lead & Head Coach
Halifax Panthers PDRL & LDSL

06/09/2026

💙🤍 ONE LAST TIME… LET’S MAKE IT COUNT! 🤍💙

Well Panthers… this is it. The final festival of the season. 🥹🏉

And what a place to finish — The Jungle, home of Castleford Tigers! 🐯🔥

Today, our incredible Halifax Panthers LDSL players will step onto the pitch alongside some fantastic teams:

🐯 Castleford Tigers
🦁 Featherstone Rovers
⚔️ York RFL
💙 Wakefield Trinity
🦏 Leeds Rhinos

But today isn't really about the results.

It's about looking back at just how far these players have come. ❤️

At the start of the season, some of our players stepped onto the pitch with nerves, uncertainty and maybe even a few doubts about what they could achieve.

Now look at them.

Confident. Determined. Proud. Fearless. A team. 💙🤍

We've watched players find their voice, build friendships, discover confidence and push themselves further than they perhaps ever thought possible.

We've celebrated the wins, learned from the difficult moments, picked each other up when things didn't go our way and, most importantly, we've done it together.

Every tackle.
Every try.
Every pass.
Every smile.
Every moment of courage.

They've all been part of this journey. 🏉❤️

And as their coach/team lead, I couldn't be prouder of every single one of them.

Because LDSL isn't just about rugby.

It's about giving people the opportunity to belong, to be heard, to challenge themselves and to discover that they are capable of so much more than they might have believed.

So today, Panthers, walk into The Jungle with your heads held high.

You've already achieved something incredibly special this season.

Now go out there, enjoy every second, support your teammates, make memories and finish this season exactly how you've played it — together. 💙🤍

One team. One family. One final festival.

🐾 COME ON HALIFAX PANTHERS LDSL! 🐾

MAKE THE JUNGLE ROAR! 🐯🔥🏉

💙🤍

04/09/2026

🇦🇺🏉 ONE OF OUR AWESOME LDSL PLAYERS REPRESENTING HALIFAX PANTHERS IN AUSTRALIA! 🐾💙🤍

How good is this?! 😬🔥

Our very own Big Man Connor T is out in Australia taking in an NRL game — Rabbitohs 🐰 vs Roosters 🐓!

Absolutely brilliant to see one of our LDSL family enjoying the experience and representing the team all the way on the other side of the world! 🌏🏉

Hope you're having an absolute blast, Big Man! 👊🔥

Enjoy every second, Connor! 💙🤍

03/09/2026

21/08/2026

🔥 HALIFAX PANTHERS — COMING TOGETHER! 🔥

Due to an admin error, the date is actually 22nd August… OOPS! 😂🙈

This Saturday, our Halifax Panthers PDRL & Wheelchair Panthers come together at Sedbergh Sports Centre, Bradford! 💙🤍

🏉 Saturday, August 22nd
⏰ Please be there for 1:15pm
📍 Sedbergh Sports Centre, Bradford
📍 Just off Odsal Top, down Cleckheaton Road

If you're coming along, get there for 1:15pm and help us show our support for the Wheelchair Panthers!

💙 ONE CLUB. TWO TEAMS. TOGETHER WE ARE PANTHERS! 💙

Come down, get behind the teams and make some noise! 🐾🔥

21/08/2026

Nothing planned for this Saturday?
Like fast, hard hitting sports?
What to see some elite athletes?
See England and Ireland International players?
All for FREE

Then come along to Sedbergh sports centre Bradford and watch the Halifax Panthers take on the Bradford bulls in the wheelchair rugby league, Super league.

Can Halifax clinch the point needed to win the league?

11/08/2026

🏉💙 HALIFAX PANTHERS LDSL & Active Calderdale — WORKING TOGETHER, MAKING A DIFFERENCE 💙🏉

What a fantastic experience Magic Weekend was for our Halifax Panthers LDSL players! 🔥

Magic Weekend wasn’t just about rugby — it was about inclusion, opportunity, confidence, friendship and showing what people with learning disabilities can achieve when they are given the chance to shine. 🌟

Working alongside Active Calderdale, we were able to create an experience that was so much bigger than simply stepping onto a rugby pitch. Our LDSL players got the opportunity to be part of something special, experience the atmosphere of a major rugby event and, most importantly, feel like they truly belonged.

For many of our players, opportunities like this can have a huge impact. Being involved in rugby helps build confidence, independence, communication, teamwork and self-belief — but days like Magic Weekend also show our players that there really are no limits to what they can achieve. ❤️

The partnership between Halifax Panthers LDSL and Active Calderdale is a brilliant example of what can happen when organisations come together with a shared commitment to making sport accessible and inclusive for everyone.

We are incredibly proud of every single player who represented Halifax Panthers. 💙🤍

This is what inclusive rugby is all about.

Belonging. Opportunity. Friendship. Confidence. And most importantly — having fun while being part of something bigger. 🏉❤️

A massive thank you to everyone who helped make the weekend possible.

👇 Please see the link below for the full write-up, along with a video from our LDSL Team Lead, Craig Serbert-Smith, explaining why Magic Weekend was so important for our players.

🔗 Full write-up & video:

https://active.calderdale.gov.uk/post/a-magic-weekend-for-the-panthers-ldsl-team

Lee Mount Care Home

Event: Magic Weekend 2026Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, LiverpoolFixture: Halifax Panthers LDSL vs Sheffield Eagles LDSL (2 matches)Halifax Panthers Learning Disability Super League team had the privilege of taking part in Magic Weekend, one of rugby league's showcase events, at the Hill Dickinson S...

10/08/2026

🏉💙 WHAT A FANTASTIC WEEKEND OF INCLUSIVE RUGBY! 💙🏉

What a weekend for Halifax Panthers LDSL & PDRL at the RFL Grand Day Out Festival in Blackpool! 🌊🏉

Our LDSL team took part in a number of games throughout the day and once again showed exactly what inclusive rugby is all about. 💙

The commitment, determination, teamwork and smiles on the players' faces were fantastic to see. They represented Halifax Panthers with incredible pride and demonstrated that rugby really is a game for everyone. 👏🔥

Our PDRL side were involved in an absolute game of two halves! 😮‍💨🏉

We went into half-time 18–0 ahead, putting in a brilliant first-half performance. Unfortunately, the second half saw our opponents fight their way back into the game, eventually turning it around to win 22–18.

A tough result, but one that doesn't take away from the effort, determination and spirit shown by our players. 💪💙

The scoreline may not have gone our way, but the pride certainly did.

A massive thank you to every player, coach, volunteer, supporter and everyone involved in making the weekend such a special one.

This is inclusive rugby.
This is community.
This is Halifax Panthers. 💙🤍