Melbourne Invitational recap: Starting the year with a celebration of community and growth
Photos by Morden Productions
The 2026 Melbourne Invitational, the first national-level wheelchair rugby event of the year, lit up Caroline Springs Leisure Centre from Friday 27 February to Sunday 1 March as part of the Wheelchair Rugby National League’s expanded development round schedule.
Bringing together athletes from across the country, the Invitational was a weekend full of exciting competition, new connections and powerful community spirit. With a huge number of almost 70 athletes from across Australia descending on Melbourne, teams battled hard across the three days in dynamic, fast-paced matches designed to maximise playing opportunities and athlete development early in the season.
The event also showcased the thriving juniors program, with dedicated matches on both Saturday and Sunday that gave our young players a chance to shine. For the first time in Australia’s wheelchair rugby history, we unofficially ran a juniors team made up entirely of Queensland athletes, a milestone for the sport and a sign of the growing grassroots participation nationwide.
The Invitational was embraced by the local community, with local schools turning out in force to support the athletes and experience wheelchair rugby firsthand. Across the development round we welcomed over 500 live spectators, creating an electric atmosphere on the courts, with hundreds more tuning in to the livestream, connecting with the action from home and cheering on their favourite teams and players.
Across the weekend, teams demonstrated skill, speed and fierce competition. With a ladder that saw teams changing positions every day, it was anyone’s game, but in the end our two Queensland-based teams saw a thrilling gold medal match going head-to-head to see who would claim victory.
End of competition leaderboard
QLD Maroon
QLD Black
SA Black
NSW Light
NSW Dark
VIC Light
VIC Dark
SA Red
The Melbourne Invitational wasn’t just about wins, it was about celebrating how far the sport continues to grow, the connections athletes share and the pathway it creates from grassroots participation to elite performance.
Thank you to our supporters
A huge thank you to our partners, sponsors and supporters for the Melbourne Invitational development round, including the Victorian Government, Protect, the Rugby Club Foundation, Lite n’ Easy and Officeworks. Your support continues to fuel the growth of this vibrant community and helps us keep building opportunities for wheelchair rugby athletes of all ages and abilities across the country.
Want to watch more live wheelchair rugby? Our next development round takes place in Sydney at the end of March. If you’re looking for elite performance, our Steelers will take the court against some of the world’s best in Adelaide in April at the Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge – tickets are on sale now!