Rolled silver for Wheelchair Rugby

by Ken Robinson

It was an impressive debut season for Bond University’s Wheelchair Rugby athletes who finished runners up in the 2023 Wheelchair Rugby Australia League.

The League consists of three rounds: the Melbourne Invitational, the Brisbane Bash, and the Sydney Slam. Bond ended their campaign equal first on the competition ladder, but second on countback to overall champion, University of Queensland.

For Bond player and Gold Coast local Ella Sabljak, it is not only her first year as a Bull Shark but also her first full season in the sport of wheelchair rugby. Prior to taking up the sport, Sabljak was known for her exceptional skills on the basketball court with career highlights of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and captaining Australia’s U25s team to a World Championship silver medal. Following the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in 2022, where Sabljak competed in basketball, she made the transition to rugby as a new and exciting challenge in her athletic career.

“My journey in wheelchair rugby began in 2022 when I was thrown into the Canberra team at the national championships in order to make up numbers,” Sabljak said.

“So while this is my first full season in rugby, I’m really enjoying the change of scenery, the challenge it’s bringing me, and the friendships that I’ve already formed. I’m really excited to see where my rugby takes me.”

Sabljak has already set herself some big goals for 2023.

“Myself and the team’s immediate goal is to qualify for the Australian squad,” she said.

“From there, my biggest personal goal is definitely to represent Australia at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.”

The Bond University team will compete at a Paralympic Games qualification tournament in Tokyo later this year.

Should the team qualify, individual players will later be selected in The Australian Steelers 2024 Olympic Wheelchair Rugby team.