General News
20 August, 2021
Hose, Steelers to start Paralympic campaign
CAMPERDOWN Paralympian Josh Hose will begin his quest for a third gold medal next Wednesday.
CAMPERDOWN Paralympian Josh Hose will begin his quest for a third gold medal next Wednesday.
The Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team will kick off its Paralympic campaign with an opening round match against Denmark in pool A.
The Steelers will then face France on Thursday, before its pool games are wrapped up on Friday against Japan.
Semi-finals and fifth to eighth placing games will be held on Saturday, before the medal matches are played on Sunday.
Head coach Brad Dubberley said the Steelers would be relying on “big-game experience” after an interrupted lead-up to the games.
“No one outside of our team at these games has won a Paralympic gold medal,” he said.
“We’ve won the last two and no player will be there from the US Team from Beijing 2008 when they won.
“Japan knocked us off by a point at the Worlds in 2018 but we’ve been in every World Championship and Paralympic final since Beijing in 2008.
“Big-game experience is something we’ve got that no other team really has.”
A top-two finish following the pool games could set Australia up on a potential collision course with one of the United States of America, Great Britain, New Zealand or Canada.