Adelaide to host inaugural international basketball, wheelchair rugby competitions
The newly created Trans-Tasman Throwdown and Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge are coming to Adelaide this May.
Adelaide has added two more events to its sporting calendar with the Australian Men’s and Women’s basketball and wheelchair rugby teams to take part in new competitions this May.
The Boomers and the Opals will compete against their counterparts from New Zealand for the Trans-Tasman Throwdown title, with the first of a three-match series hosted at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on May 7.
Basketball Australia chief executive officer Matt Scriven said the series is a “testament to the rise of the game in both Australia and New Zealand”.
“There’s a strong history of basketball in both regions and like Australia, Aotearoa is currently driving and enjoying a boom of their own,” he said.
“We want the inaugural series to set the foundation for a tradition that fans, players and teams will embrace, and we look forward to introducing a new era of rivalry between Australia and New Zealand basketball.”
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The second match will be held on the Sunshine Coast on May 9, followed by the third match in Hamilton, New Zealand on May 11.
Meanwhile, another new competition will bring the world’s largest wheelchair rugby event to Adelaide, with paralympic medalists to return to home soil for the first time since 2018.
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Today, Wheelchair Rugby Australia confirmed the Netball SA Stadium will host the newly created Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge over four days in May-June.
The competition will run alongside the existing Wheelchair Rugby National Championship and junior’s division, making it the largest wheelchair rugby event in 2025.
The new-look format will see the Paralympic bronze medallists and top seed Australian Steelers take on Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Brazil and the Netherlands in the world division.
Wheelchair Rugby Australia’s chief executive officer Chris Nay said the organisation is motivated to bring first-class international wheelchair rugby to Australia’s doorstep.
“The event promotes domestic growth, with both the National Championship and juniors’ division running alongside the World Challenge, each a priority for us in ensuring the grassroots and pathway sections of the game are given the opportunity to thrive to a heightened level,” he said.
“For over twenty years the Australian Steelers have been one of, if not the highest performing national team our country has produced, yet many Australians remain unfamiliar with their story… it is difficult to build brand affinity and a following when we are constantly competing overseas.”
The Australian Steelers won bronze at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Image: Wheelchair Rugby Australia
The Trans-Tasman Throwdown and Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge add to a growing list of sporting events in South Australia, including the Santos Tour Down Under, LIV Golf Adelaide, AFL Gather Round and an international rugby match between a combined Australia-New Zealand team and the British & Irish Lions in July.
Tickets to the Trans-Tasman Throwdown will be available from 10am, February 5, 2025, with tickets to the 2025 Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge also expected this month.
