Steelers move closer to World Championship qualification with win over Malaysia
AUSTRALIA vs MALAYSIA
Day Three – 2025 Asia-Oceania Championship, Bangkok, Thailand
Photo credit: Albin John and Wheelchair Rugby Australia
Australia strengthened its position at the 2025 Asia-Oceania Championship with a commanding 42 to 4 victory over Malaysia in Bangkok.
The matchup marked the first-ever meeting between the two national teams, an encouraging milestone that underscores the growing depth and development of wheelchair rugby across the region.
Day three's win featured another standout moment with an almost all-female Australian line-up, as all three female Steelers at this tournament — Emilie Miller, Shae Graham and Lilliana Prucha — took the court together alongside Cooper Blackwood. Their combination and cohesion highlighted both the versatility and depth of the Australian squad, and the growing impact of women in the sport.
The game also carried special significance for Brayden Foxley-Conolly, who saw his 50th cap for Australia etched in history win the team’s win against Malaysia. Known for his high-energy, high-impact style, Brayden’s achievement adds to a remarkable run of milestones on this tour following James McQuillan and Emilie Miller also recently celebrating their 50-game mark. Together, the trio represents the strength, commitment and consistency currently driving the national program forward.
With this win, Australia move one step closer to securing one of the two regional qualification spots for the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship in Brazil, which are on offer at this tournament.
The Steelers return to action tomorrow, Sunday 23 November at 10:30am local time / 2:30pm AEDT as they continue their push toward qualification. You can catch the livestream on the World Wheelchair Rugby YouTube page.
Final score: Australia 42 defeated Malaysia 4
Revisit our day one and two match summaries.
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Emily Newton
Manager – Media & Marketing
emily@wheelchairrugby.com.au