Australia national wheelchair rugby league team explained

Australia
Nickname:Wheelaroos
Region:Asia-Pacific
World Cup Apps:4
World Cup First:2008
World Cup Best:2nd, 2008
Form:Wheelchair

The Australia national wheelchair rugby league team represent Australia in wheelchair rugby league. The team have played at all four World Cup tournaments and were finalists in the inaugural competition in 2008.

History

Wheelchair rugby league was introduced to Australia in 2004 when a French team travelled to Sydney, Australia. Four matches were played with each side winning twice as the Australians won the series on points difference. In 2006, wheelchair rugby league was given official recognition by the Rugby League International Federation.[1]

In 2008, Australia was one of four teams that competed in the first Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. It took place in Sydney, as part of the Festival of World Cups, which was held as a build-up event for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Australia defeated France 22–20 in the semi-final before losing 44–12 to England in the final.[2] At the 2013 World Cup, Australia won their opening match 148–0 against Scotland. They lost to England in the semi-finals and finished fourth in the tournament after a narrow 16–14 defeat to Wales in the third-place play-off match.

The 2017 World Cup was intended to be part of the Festival of World Cups which was hosted by Australia in Sydney, but in late 2016 the wheelchair tournament was moved to France.[3] [4] To enable the Australian team to take part they received from the NRL towards their transport costs.[5] Australia reached the semi-finals but were again defeated by England.[6] Australia finished their campaign with a 58–45 win over Italy in the third-place play-off.[7] In 2019, Australia hosted an England tour in which the two teams played a two-match Ashes Test series. A Wheelaroo Tour to England in October 2020 was planned but did not take place.[8] At the 2021 World Cup, Australia reached the semi-finals where they lost 84–40 to France. In August 2023, it was announced that Australia were to play the United States in a three-match series in Las Vegas in 2024, however, the series was cancelled in November 2023.[9] [10] A proposed tour to Australia by France was also cancelled.[11] In November 2024, Australia played a two-match series against New Zealand in Auckland. Australia achieved a 2–0 series win over the Wheel Kiwis who were making their international début.

Competitive record

World Cup Record
YearFinish
2008bgcolor=silverRunners-up
20134th place
20173rd place
2021Semi-finalist

Results

DateOpponentScoreCompetitionVenueAttendanceRef.
7 November 200826–342008 World Cup Group stageSydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen[12] [13]
10 November 200814–44Betts Stadium, Sydney[14]
12 November 2008Barbarians88–0Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen
14 November 200822–202008 World Cup Semi-finalWhitlam Centre, Sydney
17 November 200812–442008 World Cup FinalBetts Stadium, Sydney[15] [16]
29 June 201312–1022013 World Cup warm-up matchCentre Sportif du Mont-Valérien, Nanterre[17] [18]
3 July 2013148–02013 World Cup Group stageMedway Park, Gillingham[19] [20]
6 July 201316–25[21]
9 July 20136–72[22]
11 July 201310–812013 World Cup Semi-final[23]
13 July 201314–162013 World Cup 3rd/4th play-off[24]
18 July 201716–702017 World Cup warm-up matchGymnase L'Olympie, Limoux[25]
20 July 201772–242017 World Cup Group stageHalle aux Sport, Carcassonne
22 July 201722–102Complexe La Rijole, Pamiers
24 July 201726–80Gymnase du Lac, Saint-Jory
25 July 201749–402017 World Cup Group play-offsGymnase du Cosec, Albi
26 July 201724–762017 World Cup Semi-finalGymnase Compans Cafferlli, Toulouse
27 July 201758–452017 World Cup 3rd/4th play-offGymnase du Cosec, St-Orens
21 October 201928–84Ashes Test seriesWhitlam Leisure Centre, Sydney[26] [27]
23 October 201950–58University of Wollongong, Wollongong
26 October 2022 British Army?–?2021 World Cup warm-up matchesMedway Park, Gillingham[28]
29 October 202286–38Cardiff Met University Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff[29]
31 October 2022129–1Medway Park, Gillingham[30]
3 November 20228–382021 World Cup Group StageCopper Box, London3,033[31]
6 November 202276–183,268[32] [33]
9 November 202252–323,847[34] [35]
13 November 202240–842021 World Cup Semi-finalEnglish Institute of Sport, Sheffield1,318[36]
1 November 202498–4Two match series friendlyEventfinda Stadium, Auckland[37]
4 November 2024110–8[38]

Records and statistics

External links

NRL Wheelchair

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Major stages and big events . Rugby XIII Fauteuil . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081113052854/http://www.rugby13fauteuil.fr/en/historique.htm . 13 November 2008.
  2. Web site: Story of the Cup: The record breakers and history makers . NRL.com . 15 October 2022 . 7 March 2024.
  3. Web site: Australia to host Festival of World Cups in 2017 . Asia Pacific Rugby League . 21 November 2015 . 12 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160220184045/https://asiapacificrl.com/2015/11/21/australia-to-host-festival-of-world-cups-in-2017/ . 20 February 2016.
  4. Web site: USA And Canada To Host 2025 World Cup . NSW Rugby League . 20 November 2016 . 12 March 2024.
  5. Web site: Australian squad named for Wheelchair World Cup . Asia Pacific Rugby League . 14 March 2017 . 7 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210921150617/https://asiapacificrl.com/2017/03/14/australian-squad-named-wheelchair-world-cup/ . 21 September 2021.
  6. Web site: England reach Wheelchair RL World Cup Final . RFL . 26 July 2017 . 12 March 2024.
  7. Web site: Brett Henman wins a Rugby League Wheelchair World Cup bronze medal Videos . Western Advocate . 28 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170801035422/https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/4818258/henman-gets-a-birthday-bronze-medal-videos/ . 1 August 2017.
  8. Web site: Golden Boot to be presented at first UK Wheelchair Rugby League Awards ceremony . RFL . 8 January 2020 . 10 October 2024.
  9. Web site: USA Wheelchair to host Wales and Australia in 2024 . International Rugby league . 31 August 2023 . 12 March 2024.
  10. Web site: USA Wheelchair RL cancels Las Vegas Games . NRL Wheelchair . 3 November 2023 . 12 March 2024.
  11. Web site: Wheel Kiwis to make international debut against Australia . International Rugby League . 31 October 2024 . 5 November 2024.
  12. Web site: Wheelchair Rugby League tournament . 9 November 2008 . usurped. https://web.archive.org/web/20081112101736/http://www.rlwc08.com/news/news/archive/2008/11/09/wheelchair-rugby-league-tournament.aspx . 12 November 2008.
  13. Web site: England Wheelchair team beat Australia in World Cup. 7 November 2008 . RLEF . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091228101806/http://www.rlef.eu.com/news.php?id=955 . 28 December 2009.
  14. Web site: Results: 2008 . RLEF . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090724132857/http://www.rlef.eu.com/results.php?s=2008 . 24 July 2009.
  15. Web site: Story of the 2008 World Cup. RLWC2001. 13 October 2022. 4 November 2022.
  16. Web site: England Wheelchair Rugby League win the World Cup. 17 November 2008. 5 November 2022. Sport Focus. https://web.archive.org/web/20221017185508/http://www.sportfocus.com/newspub/story.cfm?ID=31164. 17 October 2022.
  17. Web site: Victoire "entachée" de l'EDF XIII Fauteuil . fr . FFRXIII . 1 July 2013 . 21 March 2024.
  18. Web site: Programme chargé pour l'EDF de XIII Fauteuil . fr . FFRXIII . 27 June 2013 . 21 March 2024.
  19. Web site: Australia 148–0 Scotland . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  20. Web site: Wheelchair World Cup . rugbyleague.wales . 12 March 2024.
  21. Web site: Wales 25–16 Australia . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  22. Web site: France 72–6 Australia . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  23. Web site: England 81–10 Australia . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  24. Web site: Australia 14–16 Wales . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  25. Web site: Des français contre les Bleus . French against Les Bleus . fr . FFRXIII . 19 July 2017 . 12 March 2024.
  26. Web site: England Wheelchair win Ashes series against Australia . Asia Pacific Rugby League . 24 October 2019 . 12 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191026002335/https://asiapacificrl.com/2019/10/24/england-wheelchair-win-ashes-series-against-australia/ . 26 October 2019.
  27. Web site: Wheelaroos ready to rock Wollongong . Dragons.com.au . 22 October 2019 . 12 March 2024.
  28. Web site: Wheelarros take on Wales & Scotland in World Ranking clashes . European Rugby League. 27 October 2022 . 22 March 2024.
  29. Web site: Wales 38–86 Australia . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  30. Web site: Australia 129–1 Scotland . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  31. Web site: England 38–8 Australia . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  32. Web site: Australia 76–18 Ireland . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  33. Web site: Rugby League World Cup: England star Seb Bechara on wheelchair game 'trending on Twitter' . BBC Sport . 8 November 2022 . 12 March 2024.
  34. Web site: Australia 52–32 Spain . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  35. Web site: England turn attention to Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup knockout stage . The Independent . 9 November 2022 . 12 March 2024.
  36. Web site: France 84–40 Australia . European Rugby League . 12 March 2024.
  37. Web site: McKenna stars as Wheelaroos start World Cup campaign with big win . NRL . 1 November 2024 . 1 November 2024.
  38. Web site: Wheelaroos train with rivals ahead of Test as game grows in NZ . NRL . 4 November 2024 . 4 November 2024.

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