Organisers of Sunday’s Wheelchair Rugby League interstate challenge hope to one day play exhibitions before each State of Origin match.
The series – now in its fourth year – will for the first time this weekend be played in the same precinct as the main event at Sydney Olympic Park’s Quaycentre.
More than 120 people play the sport across Queensland and NSW after it was brought to Australia full-time by director Joseph Chidiac in 2008. It’s now affiliated with the ARL Commission.
But Sunday’s match represents domestic wheelchair league’s best shot yet for exposure, as it bids for an increase in participation, awareness and corporate funding.
“A lot of people within rugby league don’t know wheelchair rugby league exists,” Chidiac said.
“So for us to be on this scale … hopefully we will start to become a regular fixture on the rugby league calendar and there will be a lot more awareness around the sport.
“The objective is to have a three-game series every year with each game played in the state that is hosting the (State of Origin).”
Created in France in 2004, the sport follows rules closer to league than traditional wheelchair rugby union and is played by eight NRL-affiliated clubs in NSW and the ACT.
Played on a handball court by teams of five, each maintains possession for six tackles – or tags similar to OzTag – before handing it over.
Australia have played in all three World Cups and it appears likely the next one will be in England in 2021 alongside the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cups.
Chidiac hopes the sport will eventually fall under Australian rugby league’s high performance unit as it does in England but growth is difficult given the $6500 for a chair and up to $80,000 to establish leagues.