The Australian Steelers went into Day 2 of the 2025 Japan Para Championships seeking redemption after two losses on Day 1.

With a first-round matchup against the French and a rematch versus host nation, Japan, the young Steelers had nothing to lose as they sought to further build on their new combinations and add greater control to their performance on both sides of the ball.

Game 3 – Australia vs France

The early stages saw scores traded evenly between the two sides, with many new combinations looking more settled on the second day. Aussie debutants Jayden Jackson and Cooper Blackwood continued to impress in their first outing for the green and gold. Jackson’s reach and temperament under pressure along with Blackwoods growing confidence and ball control contributed to the Steelers remaining competitive opening stages of the match. Down four at the half-time break, the Steelers were within reach of causing a major boil over against an experienced French outfit.

The opening of the second period however saw the Steelers struggle to shift the momentum in their favour. Despite an improved first half performance, Australia had no answers to the dynamism of the French in the second, with the match serving as invaluable experience against top quality opposition for many of Australia’s rising stars.

Result: France 61 defeated Australia 48

Game 4 – Australia vs Japan

A slow start to the initial period set up a tough run home to the final whistle for the Steelers in this match, with Japan’s defensive pressure disrupting the Australian attack on multiple occasions in the opening period.

The leadership of both Chris Bond and Shae Graham shone through for the Aussies, steadying the ship and providing a number of key moments between them to keep the Steelers in the hunt.

Robyn Lambird, Ben Fawcett and Emilie Miller all had strong outings against a professional Japanese outfit which took their second win of the tournament over the Steelers on day two.

Result: Japan 63 defeated Australia 49

From the Coaches

Head Coach, Brad Dubberley and Assistant Coach, Ben Newton, believe that consistency is the priority moving into tomorrow: “Our priority for the rest of the competition is the consistency of our offence. We have a lot of inexperienced athletes and new lineups that need time on court together to gel. We’re seeing progress but looking for continued improvement with each game.”

They are also impressed by the performances of Shae Graham and Brayden Foxley-Conolly: “The coaching team has been very impressed with how Brayden and Shae have stepped up with the opportunity of a bigger role against stronger competition after last year’s Shibuya Cup. They’re both playing well and have been setting an example for their teammates with their workrate.“

Day 3 bring the last round of pool matches for the tournament with the Steelers looking for redemption against Great Britain and France ahead of finals on Sunday. You can catch all the action live on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@jsadchannel/streams

For all results and competition updates, please visit the Steelers Hub here: https://wheelchairrugby.com.au/steelers-hub

2025 Japan Para Champs – Day 3 – Saturday, 8 February 2025

12:00pm (AEDT) - Australia vs France

7:00pm (AEDT) - Australia vs Great Britain

Media Enquiries

Please send through any media enquiries for the Japan Para Championships to:

Kelsey Singh
kelsey@wheelchairrugby.com.au
+61 423 916 576

2025 Japan Para Championship - Day 2 Review