USA win first Wheelchair Rugby World Championship title in 16 years
The USA won their first World Championship since 2010, with Australia taking silver and Japan finishing with bronze 27 Aug 2026
The US wheelchair rugby team claimed their first world title in 16 years, defeating defending champions Australia 57-51 at the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Paris 2024 Paralympic champions Japan took the bronze medal after beating Great Britain 54-47 in the bronze medal match.
Twelve of the world’s best teams played in a total of 46 matches at the first-ever Wheelchair Rugby World Championship held in South America.
USA crowned world champions
The US wheelchair rugby team celebrated their first world title since 2010, with co-captains Sarah Adam and Chuck Aoki leading the charge at the Paralympic Training Center, a venue that was inaugurated ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
The USA had a one-try advantage over the two-time Paralympic champions Australia at halftime, and extended the lead in the third and fourth quarters. Adam scored the final try for the USA with less than 50 seconds remaining in the game.
“It feels incredible being world champion. I’m so proud of this team. We have such an amazing group of athletes, men and women, who work so, so hard to get here,” Aoki said after the final.
“It’s been a long time since the USA was on top and I’m just so proud of the effort and the heart that we put in. I was just a little kid with a disability who didn’t know if I could play sports and here I am on top of the world and so hopefully there’s a kid out there who sees they can do it too. I’m just so happy.”
Australia were aiming for their third World Championship title after winning in 2022 and 2014. Australia captain Chris Bond said he was very proud of how far the team has come.
“The game didn’t go as we’d planned it, but you know, in retrospect I am really proud of the team. We’ve performed excellently,” Bond told Paralympics Australia.
“Everyone has played a role. Everyone’s been a part of every game, and it’s, I think, probably the strongest squad we’ve had.”
Japan take bronze
Paris 2024 gold medallists Japan recovered from their semi-final loss to the United States with a 54-47 win over Great Britain. The victory secured Japan’s second consecutive World Championship bronze medal.
Japan captain Yukinobu Ike was named player of the match. He said on Instagram that he will continue training for the LA28 Paralympic Games, which open on 15 August 2028.
“The Japanese national team continued winning after the Paris Paralympics and maintained its world No. 1 ranking, so I believed we could carry that momentum and win the World Championships,” he wrote on Instagram.
“However, I realised that I lacked the mindset that winning was non-negotiable. This experience showed me that you cannot keep winning unless every element is in place.”
“While the level of competition around the world is improving rapidly, I believe the process and approach our Japanese team is taking are not wrong," the Japanese captain added. “After taking some time to refresh and reset, I will continue to push myself and build my strength all the way to Los Angeles, and this time I absolutely want to win in the end.”
Meanwhile, hosts Brazil finished their campaign with a 53-37 win over New Zealand to finish 11th. Brazil were making their second World Championship appearance, two years after making their debut in Vejle, Denmark, where they also finished 11th.
Brazil are aiming to qualify for the LA28 Paralympics, a decade after making their Paralympic debut as hosts at Rio 2016.
Final standings
World champions: United States
Silver medal: Australia
Bronze medal: Japan
Fourth place: Great Britain
Fifth place: France
Sixth place: Denmark
Seventh place: Canada
Eighth place: Netherlands
Ninth place: Germany
10th place: Colombia
11th place: Brazil
12th place: New Zealand
