Latest news with #ParisParalympicGames
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Big cheers for Aussie Steelers back on home soil
With fast and thunderous steel-on-steel collisions, first time spectators quickly learn why wheelchair rugby used to be called murderball. The sound of high-speed clashes rang out almost as loudly as cheers for the Australian Steelers this week as the side took on many of the strongest teams on earth at home for the first time since 2018. "They were all singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs and it just made me smile," Steelers star Shae Graham told AAP. "This is the first time I've had the opportunity to represent my country and play on home soil, so it means the world." The Aussies are looking towards the finals at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, involving 158 players from nine nations. While the sport shares its name with rugby union, that's where the similarities end. It was specifically designed for athletes with limb impairments and is played indoors on wooden courts with mixed gender teams. "This is a ruthless, fast-paced, hard-hitting, full contact sport and no one cares whether you are male or female," Ms Graham, the first woman to represent Australia internationally, said. "It's win at all costs." Wheelchair Rugby Australia chief executive Chris Nay describes the sport as a mash-up of dodgem cars, gridiron and basketball. With a 2024 Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal and two Paralympic golds in the trophy cabinet, his aim is for the team to be as recognisable as other iconic Australian squads and hopes greater exposure could help with that. "Our north star as an organisation is Boomers, Matildas and Steelers," Mr Nay explained. "Our results stack up with any of our national teams, yet no one really knows that story. "So to change that we thought that hosting an event here every year at home is a great way to introduce the Steelers to the broader Australian public." It's proven difficult to secure a major sponsorship partner but there are hopes that could soon change with more exposure. "We're not just looking for a big sum of money to be jumped on the doorstep and nothing further to happen from there," Mr Nay said. "We really know our value as a brand and as a sport and what we could bring across athlete stories and success." The new tournament has arrived at a significant time for the Steelers, who are undergoing a period of renewal. Six of the 12 players made their debut this year, making wins over Germany, Canada and New Zealand so much sweeter. There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in Adelaide, with the tournament offering ranking points ahead of the 2026 world championship in Sao Paolo which impact the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games draw. Ms Graham suffered a spinal injury in a car crash when she was 18 and took up the sport nine years later, now training six days a week on top of her job as a librarian at the Melbourne Museum. "People don't really understand that we're actually high performance athletes, this is our job," she said. "Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, full-contact, highly strategic game - it's super addictive to watch. "It's such a great community. No one will regret giving this sport a go." With fast and thunderous steel-on-steel collisions, first time spectators quickly learn why wheelchair rugby used to be called murderball. The sound of high-speed clashes rang out almost as loudly as cheers for the Australian Steelers this week as the side took on many of the strongest teams on earth at home for the first time since 2018. "They were all singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs and it just made me smile," Steelers star Shae Graham told AAP. "This is the first time I've had the opportunity to represent my country and play on home soil, so it means the world." The Aussies are looking towards the finals at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, involving 158 players from nine nations. While the sport shares its name with rugby union, that's where the similarities end. It was specifically designed for athletes with limb impairments and is played indoors on wooden courts with mixed gender teams. "This is a ruthless, fast-paced, hard-hitting, full contact sport and no one cares whether you are male or female," Ms Graham, the first woman to represent Australia internationally, said. "It's win at all costs." Wheelchair Rugby Australia chief executive Chris Nay describes the sport as a mash-up of dodgem cars, gridiron and basketball. With a 2024 Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal and two Paralympic golds in the trophy cabinet, his aim is for the team to be as recognisable as other iconic Australian squads and hopes greater exposure could help with that. "Our north star as an organisation is Boomers, Matildas and Steelers," Mr Nay explained. "Our results stack up with any of our national teams, yet no one really knows that story. "So to change that we thought that hosting an event here every year at home is a great way to introduce the Steelers to the broader Australian public." It's proven difficult to secure a major sponsorship partner but there are hopes that could soon change with more exposure. "We're not just looking for a big sum of money to be jumped on the doorstep and nothing further to happen from there," Mr Nay said. "We really know our value as a brand and as a sport and what we could bring across athlete stories and success." The new tournament has arrived at a significant time for the Steelers, who are undergoing a period of renewal. Six of the 12 players made their debut this year, making wins over Germany, Canada and New Zealand so much sweeter. There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in Adelaide, with the tournament offering ranking points ahead of the 2026 world championship in Sao Paolo which impact the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games draw. Ms Graham suffered a spinal injury in a car crash when she was 18 and took up the sport nine years later, now training six days a week on top of her job as a librarian at the Melbourne Museum. "People don't really understand that we're actually high performance athletes, this is our job," she said. "Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, full-contact, highly strategic game - it's super addictive to watch. "It's such a great community. No one will regret giving this sport a go." With fast and thunderous steel-on-steel collisions, first time spectators quickly learn why wheelchair rugby used to be called murderball. The sound of high-speed clashes rang out almost as loudly as cheers for the Australian Steelers this week as the side took on many of the strongest teams on earth at home for the first time since 2018. "They were all singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs and it just made me smile," Steelers star Shae Graham told AAP. "This is the first time I've had the opportunity to represent my country and play on home soil, so it means the world." The Aussies are looking towards the finals at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, involving 158 players from nine nations. While the sport shares its name with rugby union, that's where the similarities end. It was specifically designed for athletes with limb impairments and is played indoors on wooden courts with mixed gender teams. "This is a ruthless, fast-paced, hard-hitting, full contact sport and no one cares whether you are male or female," Ms Graham, the first woman to represent Australia internationally, said. "It's win at all costs." Wheelchair Rugby Australia chief executive Chris Nay describes the sport as a mash-up of dodgem cars, gridiron and basketball. With a 2024 Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal and two Paralympic golds in the trophy cabinet, his aim is for the team to be as recognisable as other iconic Australian squads and hopes greater exposure could help with that. "Our north star as an organisation is Boomers, Matildas and Steelers," Mr Nay explained. "Our results stack up with any of our national teams, yet no one really knows that story. "So to change that we thought that hosting an event here every year at home is a great way to introduce the Steelers to the broader Australian public." It's proven difficult to secure a major sponsorship partner but there are hopes that could soon change with more exposure. "We're not just looking for a big sum of money to be jumped on the doorstep and nothing further to happen from there," Mr Nay said. "We really know our value as a brand and as a sport and what we could bring across athlete stories and success." The new tournament has arrived at a significant time for the Steelers, who are undergoing a period of renewal. Six of the 12 players made their debut this year, making wins over Germany, Canada and New Zealand so much sweeter. There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in Adelaide, with the tournament offering ranking points ahead of the 2026 world championship in Sao Paolo which impact the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games draw. Ms Graham suffered a spinal injury in a car crash when she was 18 and took up the sport nine years later, now training six days a week on top of her job as a librarian at the Melbourne Museum. "People don't really understand that we're actually high performance athletes, this is our job," she said. "Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, full-contact, highly strategic game - it's super addictive to watch. "It's such a great community. No one will regret giving this sport a go." With fast and thunderous steel-on-steel collisions, first time spectators quickly learn why wheelchair rugby used to be called murderball. The sound of high-speed clashes rang out almost as loudly as cheers for the Australian Steelers this week as the side took on many of the strongest teams on earth at home for the first time since 2018. "They were all singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs and it just made me smile," Steelers star Shae Graham told AAP. "This is the first time I've had the opportunity to represent my country and play on home soil, so it means the world." The Aussies are looking towards the finals at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, involving 158 players from nine nations. While the sport shares its name with rugby union, that's where the similarities end. It was specifically designed for athletes with limb impairments and is played indoors on wooden courts with mixed gender teams. "This is a ruthless, fast-paced, hard-hitting, full contact sport and no one cares whether you are male or female," Ms Graham, the first woman to represent Australia internationally, said. "It's win at all costs." Wheelchair Rugby Australia chief executive Chris Nay describes the sport as a mash-up of dodgem cars, gridiron and basketball. With a 2024 Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal and two Paralympic golds in the trophy cabinet, his aim is for the team to be as recognisable as other iconic Australian squads and hopes greater exposure could help with that. "Our north star as an organisation is Boomers, Matildas and Steelers," Mr Nay explained. "Our results stack up with any of our national teams, yet no one really knows that story. "So to change that we thought that hosting an event here every year at home is a great way to introduce the Steelers to the broader Australian public." It's proven difficult to secure a major sponsorship partner but there are hopes that could soon change with more exposure. "We're not just looking for a big sum of money to be jumped on the doorstep and nothing further to happen from there," Mr Nay said. "We really know our value as a brand and as a sport and what we could bring across athlete stories and success." The new tournament has arrived at a significant time for the Steelers, who are undergoing a period of renewal. Six of the 12 players made their debut this year, making wins over Germany, Canada and New Zealand so much sweeter. There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in Adelaide, with the tournament offering ranking points ahead of the 2026 world championship in Sao Paolo which impact the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games draw. Ms Graham suffered a spinal injury in a car crash when she was 18 and took up the sport nine years later, now training six days a week on top of her job as a librarian at the Melbourne Museum. "People don't really understand that we're actually high performance athletes, this is our job," she said. "Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, full-contact, highly strategic game - it's super addictive to watch. "It's such a great community. No one will regret giving this sport a go."
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Big cheers for Aussie Steelers back on home soil
With fast and thunderous steel-on-steel collisions, first time spectators quickly learn why wheelchair rugby used to be called murderball. The sound of high-speed clashes rang out almost as loudly as cheers for the Australian Steelers this week as the side took on many of the strongest teams on earth at home for the first time since 2018. "They were all singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs and it just made me smile," Steelers star Shae Graham told AAP. "This is the first time I've had the opportunity to represent my country and play on home soil, so it means the world." The Aussies are looking towards the finals at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, involving 158 players from nine nations. While the sport shares its name with rugby union, that's where the similarities end. It was specifically designed for athletes with limb impairments and is played indoors on wooden courts with mixed gender teams. "This is a ruthless, fast-paced, hard-hitting, full contact sport and no one cares whether you are male or female," Ms Graham, the first woman to represent Australia internationally, said. "It's win at all costs." Wheelchair Rugby Australia chief executive Chris Nay describes the sport as a mash-up of dodgem cars, gridiron and basketball. With a 2024 Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal and two Paralympic golds in the trophy cabinet, his aim is for the team to be as recognisable as other iconic Australian squads and hopes greater exposure could help with that. "Our north star as an organisation is Boomers, Matildas and Steelers," Mr Nay explained. "Our results stack up with any of our national teams, yet no one really knows that story. "So to change that we thought that hosting an event here every year at home is a great way to introduce the Steelers to the broader Australian public." It's proven difficult to secure a major sponsorship partner but there are hopes that could soon change with more exposure. "We're not just looking for a big sum of money to be jumped on the doorstep and nothing further to happen from there," Mr Nay said. "We really know our value as a brand and as a sport and what we could bring across athlete stories and success." The new tournament has arrived at a significant time for the Steelers, who are undergoing a period of renewal. Six of the 12 players made their debut this year, making wins over Germany, Canada and New Zealand so much sweeter. There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in Adelaide, with the tournament offering ranking points ahead of the 2026 world championship in Sao Paolo which impact the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games draw. Ms Graham suffered a spinal injury in a car crash when she was 18 and took up the sport nine years later, now training six days a week on top of her job as a librarian at the Melbourne Museum. "People don't really understand that we're actually high performance athletes, this is our job," she said. "Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, full-contact, highly strategic game - it's super addictive to watch. "It's such a great community. No one will regret giving this sport a go."
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Big cheers for Aussie Steelers back on home soil
With fast and thunderous steel-on-steel collisions, first time spectators quickly learn why wheelchair rugby used to be called murderball. The sound of high-speed clashes rang out almost as loudly as cheers for the Australian Steelers this week as the side took on many of the strongest teams on earth at home for the first time since 2018. "They were all singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs and it just made me smile," Steelers star Shae Graham told AAP. "This is the first time I've had the opportunity to represent my country and play on home soil, so it means the world." The Aussies are looking towards the finals at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, involving 158 players from nine nations. While the sport shares its name with rugby union, that's where the similarities end. It was specifically designed for athletes with limb impairments and is played indoors on wooden courts with mixed gender teams. "This is a ruthless, fast-paced, hard-hitting, full contact sport and no one cares whether you are male or female," Ms Graham, the first woman to represent Australia internationally, said. "It's win at all costs." Wheelchair Rugby Australia chief executive Chris Nay describes the sport as a mash-up of dodgem cars, gridiron and basketball. With a 2024 Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal and two Paralympic golds in the trophy cabinet, his aim is for the team to be as recognisable as other iconic Australian squads and hopes greater exposure could help with that. "Our north star as an organisation is Boomers, Matildas and Steelers," Mr Nay explained. "Our results stack up with any of our national teams, yet no one really knows that story. "So to change that we thought that hosting an event here every year at home is a great way to introduce the Steelers to the broader Australian public." It's proven difficult to secure a major sponsorship partner but there are hopes that could soon change with more exposure. "We're not just looking for a big sum of money to be jumped on the doorstep and nothing further to happen from there," Mr Nay said. "We really know our value as a brand and as a sport and what we could bring across athlete stories and success." The new tournament has arrived at a significant time for the Steelers, who are undergoing a period of renewal. Six of the 12 players made their debut this year, making wins over Germany, Canada and New Zealand so much sweeter. There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in Adelaide, with the tournament offering ranking points ahead of the 2026 world championship in Sao Paolo which impact the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games draw. Ms Graham suffered a spinal injury in a car crash when she was 18 and took up the sport nine years later, now training six days a week on top of her job as a librarian at the Melbourne Museum. "People don't really understand that we're actually high performance athletes, this is our job," she said. "Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, full-contact, highly strategic game - it's super addictive to watch. "It's such a great community. No one will regret giving this sport a go."
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ParalympicsGB swimming ace Poppy Maskill collects MBE from the King
SWIMMER Poppy Maskill, who excelled at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, got an early birthday treat as she collected her MBE from the King this week. Middlewich-based Maskill, who turns 20 on Saturday, won three gold and two silver medals for ParalympicsGB in the French capital and was also given the honour of being a flagbearer at the closing ceremony. Speaking after collecting her MBE at a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, she said: 'I am very happy. It is such an honour to receive this award.' Poppy Maskill, from Middlewich, is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by King Charles III at Windsor Castle. The honour recognises services to swimming (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire) Poppy Maskill shakes hands with King Charles lll after receiving her MBE at Windsor Castle for services to swimming (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire) A moment to treasure for Poppy Maskill as she shakes hands with King Charles lll after receiving her MBE at Windsor Castle for services to swimming (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire) Maskill said her MBE and her flagbearer role were both 'amazing things'. The former Northwich Centurions Swimming Club and Winsford Swim Team member, who was honoured for her services to swimming, won ParalympicsGB's first medal of the Games with gold in the 100m S14 butterfly in world record time. Poppy Maskill wins gold AND breaks the world record 🥇 What an opening day this has been for @ParalympicsGB #C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 — C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) August 29, 2024 She then went on to win golds in the S14 100m backstroke and 4x100m S14 freestyle relay as well as silvers in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley S14. Poppy Maskill gives a wave to the crowd after receiving her first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games (Image: PA Wire) Poppy Maskill swimming to gold medal success at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games (Image: PA Wire) No ParalympicsGB athlete came home from the Games with more medals. Her stunning year in the pool was capped off when she achieved a joint world's best time and broke a European record in the Swim England National Winter Championships in Sheffield. Maskill, a multiple world champion in the S14 intellectually impaired classification, was also honoured by the Sports Journalists' Association for her 2024 heroics. The SJA named her as their Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year as part of their British Sports Awards. Maskill is in training for the world championships in Singapore this year and next year's Commonwealth Games. 'I think I should be alright as long as I try hard,' she said. Maskill first started making headlines in 2014 when she was the Middlewich rose queen, aged nine. Her rise in swimming was noted with her international debut when she claimed a medal of each colour at the Madeira 2022 world championships. She continued to establish herself on the global stage with a medal in all five of her events at the Manchester 2023 world championships, including gold in the mixed S14 4x100m freestyle relay. And at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, she represented Team England in the S14 200m freestyle placing fourth, while she was later that year awarded 'Emerging Para-Swimmer of the Year' at the Aquatics GB awards. Away from swimming, Poppy is a lover of dogs and is fondly known among her teammates for having an incredibly large collection of Crocs footwear.
