The Wheel Kiwis are breaking ground for whaikaha (disabled) athletes as Aotearoa’s first wheelchair rugby league team.
The inaugural squad made its debut last week in its first trans-Tasman fixture against Australia’s Wheelaroos.
“It’s definitely a dream come true coming from a rugby whānau,” says player Kauri Murray (Ngāti Apa, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi).
“It’s exactly the same as rugby league - there’s contact, crashing of the chairs, the ball is still passed backwards - it’s everything someone could ever ask for if they have a disability want to pursue their dreams of rugby league.”
This follows a brilliant week of rugby league in Aotearoa, which saw the PDRLNZ Whaikaha and Kiwis squads also don the black and white jersey in a thrilling triple-header event at Go Media Stadium.
The 12-strong Wheel Kiwis squad was only brought together last week, ahead of their 98-4 defeat to the Wheelaroos.
The team’s head coach Edie George says the majority of their squad have never played the sport before.
“We’re trying to create a legacy for the Wheel Kiwis and New Zealand Rugby League,” he says.
“For a lot of these guys, the opportunity to represent their country is massive.”
Team captain Jayson Hooker - a Kiwi living in Australia - says it is an honour to pioneer this kaupapa.
“It’s such an emotional feeling to be part of the first team.”
Hooker is an able-bodied athlete, but was introduced to the sport 18 months ago by his wife who is a below-knee amputee.
“I just fell in love with it. I can’t play the game running anymore [because] of a few injuries, so this gives me the opportunity to get out and have a go.
Although a novice to this code, Murray is no novice to wheelchair sports, representing the Rollerkiwis - Aotearoa’s wheelchair basketball team.
Murray says a reaction to a polio vaccine at five-months-old left his right leg paralysed. This didn’t stop him from participating in lunchtime rugby at school.
“I had a leg brace and I’d go out there and have a run.”
“Once the doors started to open and there were more sports coming in, I thought oh yeah, I’ll give this one a go - [and] that’s where I found wheelchair basketball and eventually wheelchair rugby league.”
Murray led the Wheel Kiwis in their pre-game haka - another first for many of the debutants.
“We spent a lot of time practising the haka - they were more nervous about doing the haka properly than the actual game itself,” George says.
George is one of many able-bodied athletes who has taken part in wheelchair rugby league over the years.
“Wheelchair rugby league is an all-inclusive sport where you can be able-bodied or disabled and participate in the sport.”
“For a lot of the younger players coming through, they don’t get the opportunity to play with their siblings who are able-bodied, so this is one of their only opportunities to do that.”
This was also a full-circle moment for Wheelaroos player Cory Cannane, who has whakapapa ties to Te Papaioea.
Although Cannane is able-bodied, his father Craig is in a wheelchair and introduced him to the sport as a youngster. The pair represented Australia at the previous Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in 2022 - the first father-son duo to do so.
“[It was a] big achievement for our family,” he says.
“This opportunity has given me [another] doorway to come back [to Aotearoa] more often.”
Murray and his teammates hope to continue this kaupapa for the next generation.
“We wanna leave a legacy where we can keep this going and get more of our rangatahi playing wheelchair sports.”
The second trans-Tasman test took place in Tāmaki Makaurau this week - the Wheelaroos triumphing over their Kiwi counterparts 110-8.
“I think they did New Zealand proud,” George says.
The Wheel Kiwis are now working towards the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in 2026.
