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Steelers Striving For Paris 2024 Ticket In Tokyo

Steelers Striving For Paris 2024 Ticket In Tokyo
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World rankings and reputations will count for nothing when the Australian Steelers begin their campaign at the 2023 Asia Oceania Wheelchair Rugby Championship on Thursday in Tokyo.

All that matters is victory in Sunday’s final, which will secure direct qualification to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games for the winning team.

The Steelers arrived in Tokyo last Sunday and recovered well from the journey to train strongly this week, giving Australian head coach Brad Dubberley good reason to be confident about their chances at the four-nation tournament.

But despite the difference in world rankings between the Steelers (two) and the other combatants Japan (three), New Zealand (eight) and South Korea (15), Dubberley said complacency will not be a factor for his players.

“The key for us is just to make sure we stay on the job and build momentum every game. If we can do that, that will give us the best chance to do what we come to do which is to win that final game,” Dubberley said.

“Japan are obviously our biggest rivals here but New Zealand are a very good team who always want to perform well against us and Korea are a brand new team and we really don’t know what to expect from them.

“It’s a cliché, but we have to take it one game at a time. We can’t afford to look too far ahead.”

Read our team announcement: Steelers Seeking Smooth Terrain On Precarious Path To Paris

Dubberley has made two changes to the victorious Steelers squad from the World Championships last October. Young gun Brayden Foxley-Conolly gets his first chance to impress at a major tournament while experienced star Jayden Warn returns after a break from the sport that spanned more than 18 months.

The Australian coach said both players are ready to grab their opportunity and make an important impact.

“Jayden brings a lot to our team. He’s come back feeling really fresh and he has also brought a lot of enthusiasm. His experience will give us a big boost here, especially in some of those bigger games as the tournament progresses.

“Having Brayden here too has been awesome. Obviously he is young and he’s an exciting 3.5 [classification] for us who progressed within our development program.

“So for him to have the chance to play at a big international tournament like this, it’s going to be huge for his confidence and his development as we move forward towards the Paralympics.”

Foxley-Conolly also has the advantage of playing with, and learning from, the two most-accomplished 3.5 players in the sport – Ryley Batt and captain Chris Bond.

The tournament will be Batt’s first major outing after a shoulder injury and lengthy rehabilitation process. His performance, along with Bond’s leadership, will be critical to the Steelers’ fortunes in Tokyo.

“Bondy’s captaincy continues to go from strength to strength,” Dubberley said.

“He has introduced some really important elements into our team which has taken some pressure off some other players, predominantly Ryley.

“That’s helped Ryley to stay more mentally fresh. He’s tracking pretty well since coming back [from injury].”

“With those guys, that gives us a lot of experience, a lot of different line-ups and that’s going to help us manage Ryley’s workload and set us up to perform in the finals.

“We’re excited for what is ahead of us.”

2023 WWR ASIA OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tokyo, Japan

All matches will be livestreamed via YouTube.

Australian Steelers’ fixtures (Times are AEST)

Thursday 29 June
13:30 – AUS 71 def KOR 23
17:30 – AUS 46 def by JPN 53

Friday 30 June
13:30 – AUS vs NZL 
20:00 – AUS vs JPN 

Saturday 1 July
13:30 – AUS vs KOR
20:00 – AUS vs NZL

Sunday 2 July
13:15 – Bronze medal match
15:15 – Gold medal match / Paris 2024 qualifier

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By: Tim Mannion, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 29 June 2023
Image: Yuuri Tanimoto JWRF