Wheelchair International : Wheelchair International

Fri 1st November 2024   - KO  10:30 - Eventfinda Stadium, Auckland

New Zealand

4

FT

98

Half Time
0 - 42

Australia

Tries

Goals

New Zealand Wheelchair coach Edie George hopes Friday's international debut of the Wheel Kiwis against Australia’s Wheelaroos will lead to more Pacific nations taking up the sport.

Until now, Australia has been the only international team in the Southern Hemisphere but the first trans-Tasman Test with New Zealand creates a rivalry that will ensure more regular matches.

The historic Test at Auckland's Eventfinda Stadium will be the first for the Wheelaroos since their semi-final loss to France at the last World Cup in 2022 but for the Wheel Kiwis the fixture holds even greater significance.

A second Test will be staged at the same venue on Monday, kicking off at 12.30pm NZT and the fixtures will help qualify New Zealand for the next World Cup, to be staged in Australia in 2026.

The first Wheel Kiwis team to face Australia in the historic trans-Tasman wheelchair Test.
The first Wheel Kiwis team to face Australia in the historic trans-Tasman wheelchair Test.©NZRL Media

“Obviously our aim is the World Cup but what we are trying to do with this campaign is set a standard and create a legacy because we want the game to grow in New Zealand,” George said.

"Ideally we will be able to have more trans-Tasman Test matches."

The Wheelaroos will play their first Test since the semi-final of the World Cup in 2022.
The Wheelaroos will play their first Test since the semi-final of the World Cup in 2022.©Getty Images

George was an assistant to Wheelaroos coach Brett Clark at the last World Cup in England and the pair spoke about the need to spread the game to New Zealand and other nations in the Pacific.

"We want to build that same rivalry that the men's and the women's game have," Clark said.

"They have been doing a lot of development over here [in New Zealand] trying to get the game established and they got to a stage where they now have the ability to have a team and play.

"If we can build the sport up in our own backyard then maybe other countries that are looking at it will be keen as well - even a Pacific Islands team representing multiple nations would be phenomenal."  

Kiwis internationals Ruben Wiki and Charlotte Scanlan have been supporting the growth of wheelchair rugby league in New Zealand.
Kiwis internationals Ruben Wiki and Charlotte Scanlan have been supporting the growth of wheelchair rugby league in New Zealand.©Warriors Media

Since the World Cup, the Wheelaroos have had a two-Test series against the USA in Las Vegas – to coincide with the NRL’s season opener at Allegiant Stadium – and a proposed tour by France to Australia both fall over.

“The Wheelaroos don’t get to play many Test matches, so they go into the World Cup quite raw,” said George, who is also the NSW coach and has a Kiwi family connection.

“I think this Test series is going to be unbelievable for the sport in the Southern Hemisphere and hopefully from this, other countries like Fiji and Samoa will want to get on the back of it.

"Papua New Guinea love their rugby league so they will love wheelchair rugby league.”

The inaugural Wheel Kiwis side is made up of players drawn from Australia, as well as New Zealand, and includes some newcomers to the sport.

“We have a few guys from Queensland Rugby League, who are Kiwis and play in Queensland, we have a couple of guys from Christchurch, and a couple of guys who have come across from wheelchair basketball,” George said.

“For some of those guys it will be their first game, and they are learning the rules and learning how to play. But these guys are like sponges and they have picked it up straight away.

“They are asking so many questions and, as a coach, I am appreciative of that because it shows they are keen to learn.

“In such a short period of time they have built a camaraderie and brotherhood, which I wasn’t expecting this early.”

The Wheel Kiwis players chose Jayson Hooker as the inaugural captain, with Kauri Murray to the vice-captain.

New Zealand Wheel Kiwis

  • Ryan Charles
  • Nikia Fa’atau
  • Robert Graham
  • Steven Hei
  • Jayson Hooker (C)
  • Charles Joyce
  • Kauri Murray (VC)
  • Slade St John
  • Lance Pakura
  • Yann Roux
  • Dan Scott
  • Jamie Tapp 

Coach: Edie George

Australia Wheelaroos

  • Daniel Anstey
  • Peter Arbuckle
  • Cory Cannane
  • Brad Grove (C)
  • Diab Karim
  • Bayley McKenna
  • Toby Popple
  • Zac Schumacher

Coach: Brett Clark

31 October 2024
McKenna stars as Wheelaroos start RLWC2026 campaign with big win

Wheelaroos captain Brad Grove has outlined his team’s ambition to win the 2026 World Cup on home soil after beating New Zealand 98-4 in an historic trans-Tasman wheelchair Test in Auckland.

In a game of firsts, which opened with the first haka in wheelchair rugby league, the Wheel Kiwis were no match for Australia in their international debut as Bayley McKenna scored a record 44-point haul from five tries and 12 goals.

However, New Zealand at least managed to score their first international try, through Jamie Tapp, and will be aiming to improve their defence in the second Test at Eventfinda Stadium on Monday.

Wheel Kiwis captain Jayson Hooker insisted the home team would be better for their first hit out, which is expected to lead to more regular Tests between Australia and New Zealand, while also encouraging other Pacific nations to play.

“It was amazing, the emotion was huge,” Hooker said. “We have come together on pretty short notice, we haven’t had much time to train together so it was all heart from us today.

“We had five hours training together. It was good to come out of it without a donut at the end.”

The Wheelaroos led 42-0 at halftime and went on with the task in their first international outing since the last World Cup in England in 2022.

With a series in the USA and a tour by France falling over this year, the Wheelaroos are focused on growing the game in the Southern Hemisphere to provide more competition.

After making the semi-finals of the World Cup, the Wheelaroos are No.3 in the IRL World Rankings behind England and France and Grove believes they can win the next tournament to be played in Australia at the end of the 2026 season.

“It’s been a while since the Wheelaroos have been together, but this is a great start for our World Cup campaign,” Grove said.

“We missed out in 2017, the World Cup got moved back to Europe so this will be the first time for the majority of us to actually play at home in front of a home crowd.

"We will start getting prepared for that and hopefully bring the World Cup home.”

The Wheelaroos had six different tryscorers, including McKenna and debutant Daniel Anstey, who scored five apiece, while Cory Cannane finished with a hat-trick.

Despite Australia's record winning margin, Grove was encouraged by the performance of the Wheel Kiwis and the future of the wheelchair game in the Pacific.

“To be honest this Kiwi team is fantastic so there is a lot to come forward from them,” he said.

“Obviously we want to be out there playing as many games as we can but starting the game here locally and in the Pacific is fantastic for us.

“Hopefully we have got Papua New Guinea, Fiji and all of those other islands coming on board so it will be great to see our Pacific nations tour shortly.”

Australia 98: Bayley McKenna 5, Daniel Anstey 5, Cory Cannane 3, Zac Schumacher 2, Peter Arbuckle, Brad Grove tries; Bayley McKenna 12, Dian Karim 3 goals.

New Zealand 4: Jamie Tapp try.

Player-of-the-match: Bayley McKenna

Halftime 42-0

2 November 2024