Day 3 Summary - Wheelchair Rugby National League - Brisbane Bash

The final day of the Wheelchair Rugby National League – Brisbane Bash attracted a healthy crowd as ‘derby’ day pitted local rivalries against each other across the competition.

Match 1: Melbourne RUFC 62 vs Box Hill 45

The two Victorian sides competed in the first match of the day with Melbourne looking to end the competition strongly as they rose up the series standings. Coming up from Division 2, Kadir Faki had a strong game combining well with Jayden Warn for multiple Melbourne tries. For Box Hill, Shae Graham continued to be a standout performer whilst Robyn Lambird and Jason Ellery both had good games. Melbourne’s movement across the court proving too good for Box Hill as they finished the competition with another victory. Final score 62-45.

Match 2: Sydney University 56 vs Hunter Wildfires 39

In the second match of the day, the NSW sides looked to grab bragging rights over one another. Sydney Uni looked as strong as ever with AJ Holloway’s chair skills on show. Ryan Boyd again played well along with a strong performance from Jayden Jackson up and down the court. Conor Tweedy continued to impress looking strong, along with a good performance from Ash Treseder. In the end Sydney Uni take the bragging rights. Final score 56-39.

Match 3: Division 2 Final - SA Sharks 21 vs Suncorp Queensland Cyclones 50

The final match for Division 2 saw the Cyclones take on the Sharks after their draw the day before. With both teams fielding mix and match line-ups of available players, the Cyclones remained the dominant force of the division. Nathan Plascott and Kadir Faki had impressive matches with Jacob Cremen-Darkin continuing to play his influential role for the Cyclones across the court. Dane Kinder looked good for SA as did James Coleman. Despite the dynamic Zac Robertson’s best efforts, the Sharks went down. Final score 50-21.

Match 4: University of Queensland 55 vs Bond University 41

The final match of competition and easily the most anticipated saw local QLD ladder leaders Bond Uni, taking on the impressive UQ with Australian Steelers star Chris Bond ensuring an undefeated start to the weekend for the Red Heavies. Strong home support for UQ didn’t faze Ella Sabljak as she showed no fear with some big defensive efforts. Matt Thompson’s passing game was good as was Emilie Millers defensive work for the Bull Sharks. The combination of Josh Nicholson and Cam Whittaker looked strong and was supported by Beau Vernon and Damien Mortaud applying formidable defensive pressure as UQ built and maintained a lead till the end. The result saw UQ finish top of the table this round. Final score 55-41.

A special mention to the performances of Sandra Wortlehock running the scorebench flawlessly across the weekend, and new referee Natasha Karam showing great promise in her debut competition.

Wrapping up the Brisbane Bash, the competition has been a great success with the most teams ever competing in a National League round. The final day was characterised by a fantastic crowd in attendance to see some excellent wheelchair rugby. Special thanks to round partner ECP and major sponsors and transport providers Charter Care and WheelChair Vehicle Sales for their support. This round would not have been possible without them and WRA looks forward to working with them again in the future.

Next up on the wheelchair rugby calendar, Round 3 of the National League in Sydney. See you July 19-21 at Perry Park!

Author Ben Hayes

Benjamin Hayes24 June 2024Comment