2017 IWRF Americas, Asia-Oceania hosts named

Three nations from these will Zonal Championships will qualify for the 2018 World Championship. 03 Apr 2017

Two men playing wheelchair rugby collide their chairs.

Japan's Yukinobu Ike and Australia's Chris Bond collide during the Canada Cup 2016.

ⒸKevin Bogetti-Smith

By IWRF

The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) has announced the host nations for the 2017 Americas and Asia-Oceania Championships.

Auckland, New Zealand, will host the 2017 IWRF Asia-Oceania Championship, set from 24 August – 1 September.

It is the first time the event will be hosted in Auckland. New Zealand previously hosted the Zone Championships in Christchurch in 2001 and 2009, as well as the 2006 IWRF World Championship in Christchurch.

Five nations are expected to compete for the regional title and a chance to qualify one country for the GIO 2018 IWRF World Championship in Sydney, Australia.

The 2017 IWRF Americas Championship will be held in Asuncion, Paraguay, from 3-10 September.

It is the first IWRF event to be hosted in Paraguay and the first time the zonal Championships will be held in South America since 2011. Ten nations are expected to participate, with the top two finishers earning spots at the 2018 World Championship.

Nations that do not qualify for the World Championship from these two events will have one more opportunity at the 2018 IWRF World Championship Qualifier, to be held in early 2018.

The tournament draws for both events will be announced later this year.