For the fifth consecutive World Wheelchair Rugby Championship, the Australian Steelers have progressed to the gold medal match.
The Steelers will renew hostilities with the United States of America in the final, continuing a rivalry spanning three decades which has included the most famous matches the sport has ever seen.
The two countries have met in World Championship finals in 2022 and 2010 and Paralympic finals in 2016, 2008 and 2000, with the Americans holding a 3-2 advantage.
Both teams progressed with contrasting performances in their semi-finals.
The Australians were ruthless on their way to a 60-44 rout of Great Britain, while the Americans survived a heart-stopping finish against reigning Paralympic champions Japan to win by a solitary goal, 50-49.
It will be the third World Championship final between the two nations and the second in a row. The Australians were outstanding in the 2022 finale in a 58-55 victory, avenging the demolition orchestrated in the 2010 final by the Americans when they won 57-45.
And while the Australians’ winning record in World Championship and Paralympic gold medal matches against the Americans remains at 40 per cent, their winning record in World Championship finals against all opponents is even – two wins from four finals.
Photo credit: Wheelchair Rugby Australia
Apart from their wins in 2022 and 2014 against Canada, and their 2010 capitulation against the Americans, the Steelers suffered undoubtedly their toughest ever loss in the 2018 gold medal match in Sydney in front of their home fans, family and friends, going down by a single goal.
Can the Steelers finally convert their World Championship win-ratio into positive territory after 16 years by winning their third World Championship from five finals on Monday morning in Sao Paolo, Brazil?
Interestingly, their sequence has gone loss, win, loss, win which doesn’t bode well for any Steelers fans who are superstitious, but experienced 0.5 player Michael Ozanne remains resolute.
Feeling really confident. The way we played all through the pools and in the finals and the fact that we’ve all got on court, yeah, really confident.
“This is my fourth world champs, and so far with this team, everyone’s made a big impact on court and we’re all just getting along. It’s been one of the best environments I’ve been in so far in the team.”
Superstitious or not, no Steelers fan can doubt the incredible form that the Australians will take into the final.
Not only did they thrash the Americans 54-44 in the pool-round, their smallest win was the nine-goal thrashing they dished out to Canada in the opening match. In the sport of wheelchair rugby, where single turnovers can swing a match, those huge margins are no mean feat.
“I think what makes us special is we just buy into our values and we just work really hard to be relentless,” said Shae Graham, the first woman to represent Australia at international level.
Graham was presented with the Player of the Match award in the semi-final and will once again hold a huge key to Australia’s hopes for supremacy.
Graham’s combination with Emilie Miller, Ryley Batt and captain Chris Bond, particularly as Interim Head Coach Lewis Quinn’s preferred starting line-up throughout the tournament, has been instrumental.
Australia and the United States will play the gold medal match of the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship in Sao Paulo on 24 August 5:30am AEST.
"*" indicates required fields
