Aussie Steelers beat Canada to win wheelchair rugby World Cup in Paris

The Australian wheelchair rugby team won the gold medal at the World Cup in Paris.

International Wheelchair Rugby World Cup

Final rankings

1: Australia
2: Canada
3: Japan
4: France
5: Great Britain
6: United States
7: Denmark
8: New Zealand

“International Wheelchair Rugby Cup champions, that sounds good,” said coach Brad Dubberley.

“Absolutely everyone was involved and contributed to this victory.

“From the athletes, the coaching staff, the team management and all of our support staff here, this is a huge team win for our entire program.”

The world champion Steelers ended a four-year drought against Japan 52-48 in the semifinals before outscoring Canada in the final.

This is the first time that World Rugby and World Wheelchair Rugby have organized twin competitions.

The Wheelchair World Cup was also a test event for next year’s Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Australia will now prepare for the Paralympics as gold medal favorites after missing out on a medal at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021).

“(It’s) a big confidence boost for the games,” said national performance director Paul Kiteley.

“The team understands that there is still a lot of work to do but there is a very positive feeling within the group that we are on the right track.

“The coaching staff did an outstanding job and were able to identify and put into practice some key tactical aspects that proved very effective against our opponents.”

Last year, the Australians won the World Championships in Denmark, beating the United States in the final, with Ryley Batt named tournament MVP.

Final results

Final: Australia 53 Canada 48
Small final (3rd-4th): Japan 50 France 49
Match 5-6: Great Britain 45 USA 43
Match 7-8: Denmark 54 New Zealand 47

Batt was at his best in the gold medal game in Paris this morning, despite a minor shoulder injury.

Captain Chris Bond was also dominant.

Bond, 37, said next year’s Paralympics would be his last: Batt, 34, has yet to decide on his future beyond Paris 2024.

After a tight first half, with just a point difference, Australia created a comfortable lead over the Canadians.

The final score was 53-48.

Australia began the tournament with a 48-49 loss to Canada.

Victories against Great Britain and Denmark qualified the Steelers for the semifinals.

The Australian team included debutant Beau Vernon, a former top-level national football coach.

The full team consisted of Chris Bond (captain), Ryley Batt, Brayden Foxley-Conolly, Jayden Warn, Shae Graham, Ella Sabljak, Andrew Edmondson, Beau Vernon, Michael Ozanne and Ben Fawcett. Coach – Brad Dubberley.