Wheelchair rugby | Paralympics Australia

Rugby Legend Reveals Why He’s Backing PA Christmas Appeal

Wheelchair rugby superstar Ryley Batt has committed to representing the Australian Steelers at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, but he’s reached a stage in his outstanding career where he also wants to ensure the future of the sport is in good hands.

It’s one reason Batt was so thrilled to meet rising star Riley Nixon at the National Championships on the Gold Coast in June.

“I’ve been privileged to represent Australia at the top level, but by playing wheelchair rugby for nearly 20 years, I’ve seen first-hand how sport at all levels can change people’s lives, especially for those with a disability,” Batt said.

“Chatting with Riley really brought that home for me again. Just hearing his story about how he acquired his impairment, how he got involved in Para-sports and what it’s done for him, he’s living proof of the incredible benefits that come from providing people with a disability better opportunities to play sport.”

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Batt, who was Australian Paralympic Team co-captain at Tokyo 2020, is backing Paralympics Australia’s Christmas Appeal, a major fundraising campaign by PA to help service programs and pathways for people with a disability to get involved.

It’s through one of those programs that Nixon, now a member of the South Australian Sharks Wheelchair Rugby Club, came across the sport he loves, putting him on a journey that seemed impossible when he was fighting for his life after contracting meningococcal B disease.

Nixon pulled through but needed to have his fingers and both legs amputated. He then began a long rehabilitation journey which included learning to use a wheelchair. His mother Amy was worried her son would never get to experience team sports, among all the other changes to his life.

But all that changed at a Get Involved Day organised by Paralympics Australia.

“Before that I never knew there were sports out there designed for kids like him,” Amy said. “You should have seen his face light up when he saw other kids just like him out there competing. Just getting the chance to get involved meant the world to him. He couldn’t stop smiling.”

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Nixon tried several sports but his favourite was wheelchair rugby. He now plans to pursue the sport and try to emulate the achievements of his namesake.

“The highlight of my wheelchair rugby career so far has definitely been meeting Ryley Batt. He plays for Australia, and he’s my hero,” Nixon said.

“Ryley gave me heaps of good tips, like how to use my tummy muscles to help me go faster and how to use my hips instead of just my hands to turn.

“Ryley also told me to believe in myself and that anything is possible. He encouraged me to keep working on my wheelchair rugby. He even told me he wants to see me at the Paralympics one day.

“I really want to do that and make him proud. Even if I don’t get to go to the Paralympics, wheelchair rugby has changed my life. It’s made me fitter, healthier and stronger. I’ve also made lots of good friends doing it and it feels good to be part of a team.”

Batt said he was proud of Nixon and keen to monitor his progress.

“There are millions of Australians living with a disability who either don’t know or can’t access Para-sports and I think that’s something we really need to change,” he said.

“Paralympics Australia does incredible work breaking down those barriers, so I hope plenty of people get behind the Christmas Appeal and we can keep changing lives through the power of sport.”