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With the world’s top eight teams ready for battle, Australian head coach Brad Dubberley has declared there is no clear favourite to win the 2023 International Wheelchair Rugby Cup beginning next Wednesday in Paris.
The Australians will depart for the French capital on Friday evening after their intensive five-day training camp in Melbourne concludes earlier that day, which Dubberley has used to help build the physical and mental resolve of his players.
”This pre-departure camp is a bit different from how we usually do things, but I think things are shaping up pretty well, and the athletes are feeling well-prepared,” Dubberley said. “We have been upskilling them and educating them on a few areas we are looking to improve, which I think is going to help us problem-solve while we are over there.
“This will be our first major tournament as a team since the Asia Oceania Championships in Japan in June, so we are really looking forward to competing again. We also know our opponents have all been playing a fair bit, which is going to make things tougher for us.”
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The Steelers will not have the luxury of time to get their bearings. Once they arrive, they have just one day to recover from the long-haul journey before their first training session. The following day, they play a warm-up match against the United States before opening their IWRC campaign with a demanding match against Canada just over 24 hours later.
“It is a very packed schedule for us, but our staff are monitoring everyone closely with a big focus on recovery here in camp before we take-off,” Dubberley said.
“I’ve got immense confidence and trust in our support staff to make sure we all arrive in the best shape possible and I also know our team are good at being adaptable and meeting whatever scenario confronts us.”
The Steelers (ranked second) are grouped in Pool A, where they will face Canada (fifth), Denmark (seventh), and reigning Paralympic champions Great Britain (fourth).
On the other side of the draw are Japan (third), New Zealand (eighth), world number one United States and the host nation (sixth).
“The competition is extremely tight nowadays, which is great for our sport.” Dubberley said.
“I don’t think there has been a time where so many teams have been so competitive and so capable of beating one another. This has not only made our sport more attractive to watch but has also pushed us all to be better.
“As much as we would love to win this event, it is not our sole focus. Our priority is to continue to improve as a team, to learn as much as possible about ourselves and our opponents and to build a platform so that when we come back to Paris next year for the Paralympics, we are ready to perform to the best of our ability and compete for a Paralympic gold medal.”
Just in: the Australian Steelers #WheelchairRugby team set to take on the world's best 8 teams at the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup.
— AUS Paralympic Team (@AUSParalympics) August 25, 2023
We caught up with coach Brad Dubberley: https://t.co/naMVW3RDfQ#ImagineWhatWeCanDo pic.twitter.com/bi5yrPDDQo
The Steelers’ path to Paris 2024 became clearer this week with confirmation that New Zealand will host the final Paralympic qualifier event for wheelchair rugby to be held from March 18 to 22 next year.
Wellington in New Zealand’s north island presents a much more palatable option for the Australians, who faced the prospect of travelling to Europe once again based on a bid for the tournament from The Hague in the Netherlands.
“Obviously from a budget point of view, a trip to New Zealand is a lot less daunting than a long-haul journey to Europe and of course we see a big competitive advantage from a performance and recovery perspective now that we don’t have to travel anywhere near as far as our rivals from the Northern Hemisphere,” Dubberley said.
“But in the end, we still have to perform. There will be some very good teams there and we can’t look too far ahead. We need to qualify for Paris first and foremost in March and then go on from there.”
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International Wheelchair Rugby Cup
Paris, France – 18 – 21 October, 2023
Australian Steelers – Fixtures (times in AEDT)
Oct 18 @ 18:00 – AUS vs CAN
Oct 20 @ 02:00 – AUS vs GBR
Oct 21 @ 00:00 – AUS vs DEN
Oct 21/22 – Semi-final Fixtures TBC
Oct 23 – Final Fixtures TBC
Competing Nations By World Ranking
1.United States (Pool A)
2.Australia (Pool B)
3.Japan (Pool A)
4.Great Britain (Pool B)
5.Canada (Pool B)
6.France (Pool A)
7.Denmark (Pool B)
8.New Zealand (Pool A)
Live stream the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup on the World Wheelchair Rugby YouTube channel.
By: Tim Mannion, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 12 October 2023
