The 2026 Wheelchair Rugby National League is officially underway, with three action-packed days at the Gold Coast Classic setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.

Held from 19 to 21 September at the Gold Coast Recreation Precinct, the opening round brought together some of Australia’s leading wheelchair rugby athletes across Division 1, Division 2 and our juniors competition, giving players an important opportunity for a high-quality contest following the National League’s development rounds earlier in the year.

Australian Steelers Vice Captain James McQuillan joins the Protect Victoria Thunder team for the National League, and shared that the opening round was one to remember.

“It's been a great weekend to get the whole wheelchair rugby community together,” McQuillan said.

“It's been so nice to get our high-performance athletes here, our developing athletes, all in the one place to play some really high-quality rugby in a really beautiful part of the world.

“It's actually pretty fierce out there. To be fair, the fiercest bit of rugby we've seen this weekend is between the juniors. They are competitors. That's been the highlight for me to watch them this weekend.”

Across the senior competition, University of Queensland emerged as the standout team in Division 1, while the Flames made an equally impressive start in Division 2.

University of Queensland laid down an early marker in Division 1, completing the Gold Coast Classic undefeated with five wins from five matches.

UQ opened its campaign with a 57-51 win over Protect VIC Thunder before defeating Bond University 55-48 and Sydney University 64-54. They backed those results up later in the round, again overcoming Thunder 55-45 and Sydney University 63-49.

Behind UQ, the battle remained tight. Protect VIC Thunder and Bond University each recorded two wins from five games, while Sydney University finished with one win. Thunder and Bond traded victories against one another during the weekend, while Sydney University claimed its breakthrough with a 61-52 result against Bond.

Division 1 standings after Round 1

University of Queensland
Bond University
Protect VIC Thunder
Sydney University

The Flames were equally impressive in Division 2, finishing the Gold Coast Classic with a perfect record at the end of Round 1.

They began with a 45-35 victory over the Sharks before defeating Protect Lightning 44-32 and the Mavericks 52-37. The Mavericks also enjoyed a strong weekend, winning three of their five matches. Their victories included a 48-30 result against Protect Lightning, a 39-35 win against the Sharks and a 53-39 victory over Protect Lightning.

The Sharks finished with two wins, both against Protect Lightning, while Lightning will head to Round 2 searching for its first victory of the regular season.

Division 2 standings after Round 1

Flames
Mavericks
Sharks
Protect Lightning

Beyond the results, the Gold Coast Classic continued the National League’s role in providing meaningful competition opportunities for athletes across the Australian wheelchair rugby pathway. The 2026 season features eight teams across the two senior divisions, with the Flames and Mavericks both new additions to Division 2 and 10 athletes participating in the National League for the first time this year.

Revisit the standings, team lists and match results in our National League hub. Photos by Joep Buijs Photography.

Next stop: Sunshine Coast

With UQ and the Flames setting the early pace, and plenty of ground still to be made up across both divisions, the Sunshine Coast Clash shapes as another important weekend in the race for the 2026 National League titles.

The 2026 National League continues at the Sunshine Coast Clash, Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October at Caloundra Indoor Stadium.

The 2026 Gold Coast Classic National League round was made possible thanks to our event partners:

Major Sponsors and Partners: Lite n' Easy, Posca Hydrate, the Rugby Club Foundation
Partners: Intersection, etrainu, Australian Sports Commission.
Queensland State Partners: Bond University, University of Queensland, Suncorp, QAS, Wheelchair Rugby Queensland.

UQ and Flames set the pace as 2026 National League fires up on the Gold Coast