Panshanger’s Chris Ryan will lead his Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team against the best sides in the world at next week’s BT World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge in London.

The event, at the Olympic Park’s Copper Box Arena, will be the most thrilling Wheelchair Rugby tournament since the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Having led GB to Paralympic Games qualification by winning the European Championships in Finland last month, Ryan will be looking for a good showing from his side with just a year to go to Rio 2016.

The GB squad will take on the top teams from across the world with London 2012 gold medallists Australia, silver medallists Canada and bronze medallists USA alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and France heading to the UK.

The event is also part of the Festival of Rugby being held in the UK during the IAAF Rugby World Cup.

Lorraine Brown, performance director for GB Wheelchair Rugby, said: “Our recent gold medal win at the European Championships means we have qualified for the Paralympic Games in Rio, so this is a really exciting time for GBWR.

“The BT World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge enables us to play the very best teams in the world and provides valuable preparation for Rio 2016.”

David Pond, chief executive of GB Wheelchair Rugby added: “It is really exciting to bring together the best wheelchair rugby athletes in the world to play in a tournament alongside the Rugby World Cup.

“We hope this tournament will be repeated in Tokyo alongside the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

“Congratulations to the GB athletes selected, they can look forward to a fantastic week playing the best in the world.

“Thank you to UK Sport, the Lottery, BT and all of our partners for making the event possible.”

GB will play France on Monday night, Australia Tuesday evening and Japan on Wednesday in the group stages with semi-finals Thursday and the medal matches on Friday.