Australian Miners development team unveil new logo and identity ahead of competition in South Korea
Athlete photos used in header image by Melanie Butez.
The Australian Miners have a new look.
Wheelchair Rugby Australia (WRA) has unveiled a new logo and visual identity for its national development team, marking the next chapter for a program playing an important role in shaping the future of Australian wheelchair rugby.
Developed in collaboration with Australian creative agency Hopeful Monsters, the new identity gives the Miners a distinctive personality of their own, while sitting proudly alongside the Australian Steelers as another national team to represent.
But this is more than a new logo. It's an identity built around the people who make up the Miners, the connections between athletes at different stages of their careers and the shared responsibility of developing the next generation of wheelchair rugby athletes in Australia.
An identity built through co-design
The Miners identity has always been about giving athletes ownership of the program and creating something they can genuinely identify with and feel proud to represent.
When the Australian development team officially adopted the Miners name in 2025, athletes and staff came together to define a brand that reflected the team's values, ambitions and connection to the Australian Steelers. The next phase saw WRA partner with Hopeful Monsters to co-design a visual identity from the ground up.
Through workshops, conversations and an anonymous survey of the wider wheelchair rugby community, clear themes emerged: equal opportunity, inclusivity, national pride and a desire for the Miners to be recognised as an important part of Australia's wheelchair rugby pathway.
As one contributor described the development team's role: "Being a development team, it's searching for gold nuggets. Talented potential future Steelers athletes. I feel like it is still a bit rough and rugged, as it's not a finished product."
That idea became central to the creative direction. The Miners are athletes in development: resilient, ambitious and constantly evolving. The identity reflects the grit, determination and potential required to progress through the pathway while celebrating the community that helps shape that journey.
The thinking behind the logo
The new Miners logo is designed with meaning in every detail.
Its raw, unfinished edges reflect the purpose of the program. Rather than presenting something polished and complete, the design represents development in action, athletes learning, growing and refining their craft on the path towards the highest level.
At the centre of the design, the letters N and E are fused together, symbolising the connection between new and established athletes. Within the Miners environment, experience is shared, knowledge is passed on, and those who have benefited from the program help develop the athletes who follow. The circular form reinforces that ongoing cycle of growth and contribution.
The custom brandmark at the heart of the identity combines a pickaxe with a wheelchair rugby athlete in motion, replacing the "i" in Miners. It references the process of mining ore that is refined into steel, mirroring the role the program plays in preparing athletes for the national team.
The wider visual identity builds on this idea through distressed textures, hand-drawn elements and layered collage treatments, complemented by topographic linework inspired by Australia's mining landscapes. Together, they represent the journey athletes take through the pathway to the Steelers.
More than a visual system, the identity reflects what makes the Miners important: a program where development is shared, opportunity is accessible and the future of Australian wheelchair rugby is built together.
Building the future of Australian wheelchair rugby
Established in 2021, WRA's development program plays a critical role in identifying and supporting emerging talent across the country.
The Miners provide athletes with exposure to high-performance environments, international competition and the standards required to progress within the Australian national program.
The impact of that pathway is already evident, with eight current Australian Steelers having progressed through the development program since its establishment.
As WRA continues to invest in the future of the sport, the Miners will remain a key part of building depth, developing talent and creating opportunities for the next generation of Australian wheelchair rugby athletes.
Miners take new identity to South Korea
Australian Miners athletes in South Korea, November 2027.
The unveiling of the new identity comes as the Australian Miners continue to build international experience, with the team currently in South Korea for a development camp as part of WRA's exchange program with the Chungnam Province.
The relationship builds on the connection established at the 2025 Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge in Adelaide, where Chungnam athletes travelled to Australia to compete. The exchange program creates opportunities for athletes and staff from both programs to share knowledge, develop their game and strengthen international connections through wheelchair rugby.
Following the camp, the Miners will compete in Korea's National Wheelchair Rugby Championship from Friday 6 November to Sunday 8 November, gaining further valuable match experience against international opposition. It's another opportunity for the Miners to put their new identity into action, continuing to learn, develop and represent Australian wheelchair rugby on the international stage.
| Name | Classification | State |
|---|---|---|
| Rhiannon Bellette | 3.5F | NSW |
| Brayden Foxley-Conolly | 3.5 | QLD | Alby Everett | 3.0 | QLD |
| Robyn Lambird | 3.0F | WA |
| Jayden Jackson | 2.0 | NSW | Tai Martin-Page | 1.5 | SA |
| Jake Howe | 1.0 | WA | Cam Wales | 0.5 | VIC |
Unfortunately, there is no livestream available for this competition in South Korea.