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<\/p>\nThe Australian Steelers enter a new era in Adelaide this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 2026 Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge will offer the first real look at how that shift is taking shape on court, together and in front of a home crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a period of\u00a0significant change, it\u00a0marks the group\u2019s first international outing\u00a0under\u00a0acting\u00a0head\u00a0coach,\u00a0Lewis Quinn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For\u00a0captain\u00a0Chris Bond, the defining feature of this\u00a0new phase is simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cConnection,\u201d\u00a0he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve\u00a0had some\u00a0significant change\u00a0within the program \u2013 new coaches, a shift in how we\u00a0operate\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0really leaned into building our group and getting to know each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt almost feels like we\u2019re starting from scratch in terms of what we want this team to be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That sense of connection\u00a0will\u00a0sit at the heart of\u00a0Quinn\u2019s approach as he leads the Steelers into his first international campaign in the role.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to step into the role,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cWhat\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0most looking forward to is seeing the group come together on court again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got genuine depth across the squad and a lot of experience within this group, so I\u2019m excited to see us embrace this first opportunity as we build towards the World Championship later this year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the core of\u00a0Steelers\u2019\u00a0evolving approach\u00a0is a clear set of values the group is trying to embed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be known as a team that is united, accountable and committed to individual and team growth,\u201d Quinn said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are values driven and owned by the athletes and,\u00a0if we live them consistently, it will put us in a strong position to perform when it matters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That will be at the World Championships in Brazil in August, where the Steelers will go in as reigning champions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adelaide will provide the first real test of that identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bond said\u00a0the focus\u00a0for now\u00a0was\u00a0on clarity rather than outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably just where we\u2019re at,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0competed as this new squad yet, so\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a chance to test ourselves against strong opposition and get a clearer picture of where we sit in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ll probably come away with more questions than answers \u2013 but that\u2019s what you want at this stage.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the five-team draw\u00a0alongside Germany and 2026 World Championship host nation Brazil, the\u00a0US\u00a0and Great Britain\u00a0will\u00a0be sure to ask Quinn\u2019s team\u00a0the most\u00a0questions\u00a0at both ends of the court, having featured in the medal rounds at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Great Britain\u00a0was\u00a0defeated by the Steelers in the bronze medal match, while the\u00a0US\u00a0fell short\u00a0in the gold medal match against Japan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0three nations have a storied past and intense rivalry\u00a0at major\u00a0tournaments\u00a0and the visitors will love nothing more than to upset the Steelers in front of their home fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That learning environment is exactly what Quinn is looking for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first opportunity to put what we\u2019ve been working on into practice,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main thing we want to understand is how our plans stack up under pressure and whether we can execute them against strong opposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can come away from this tournament with clarity around how it feels to play our way, we\u2019ll be in a strong position,\u201d Quinn said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Former\u00a0head\u00a0coach\u00a0Brad\u00a0Dubberley\u2019s\u00a0influence\u00a0remains\u00a0deeply embedded in the program after almost two decades at the helm.\u00a0Many of the Steelers\u2019 systems, standards and tactical approaches\u00a0formed\u00a0by\u00a0Dubberley\u00a0are\u00a0still shaping the way the team plays today\u00a0according to\u00a0the Australian captain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
While this week marks the first major\u00a0event\u00a0since 2006\u00a0without\u00a0Dubberley\u00a0in charge, the focus within the group is on evolution rather than replacement, building on the foundations that helped\u00a0establish\u00a0Australia as one of the leading nations in the sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the way we play \u2013 the systems, the tactics \u2013 that\u2019s still part of us,\u201d\u00a0Bond\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0not throwing that away. But\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a new energy around the group and a curiosity about what this next version looks like.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That next version is also reflected in the composition of the squad, with four female\u00a0players\u00a0named in a historic\u00a0selection\u00a0that highlights both depth and progression within the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have great depth across the squad,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cThose athletes have earned their opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t change how the team functions \u2013 it simply makes us a stronger team.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bond said their presence is already influencing the group dynamic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey bring a lot to our group, on and off the court,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s a real cultural element there and it opens up different combinations for us in how we play.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The World Challenge also reflects the\u00a0sport\u2019s\u00a0global growth, with emerging nations such as Kenya travelling to Australia for the first time and,\u00a0for many athletes, their first international competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing nations like Kenya come to Australia is exciting,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cOpportunities like these are incredibly important for the sport and show how strong the future of wheelchair rugby is globally.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bond is equally struck by the scale of the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got international teams, national championships and juniors all in one place,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great chance to see where the sport is heading.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u202fAbout\u00a02026 Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0event\u00a0will feature more than international wheelchair rugby \u2013 with the Australian National Championship and junior division running in parallel to create a true festival of wheelchair rugby in Adelaide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fans can experience the action live at the State Basketball Centre at Wayville or tune in across Australia with the tournament broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n