Wheelchair rugby at the Summer Paralympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wheelchair rugby at the Summer Paralympics |
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| Governing body | IWRF |
| Events | 1 (mixed) |
| Games | |
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| Note: demonstration sport years indicated in italics | |
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Wheelchair rugby is an exciting team sport played by athletes with disabilities. It first appeared at the Summer Paralympics in 1996. Back then, it was a demonstration sport, which means it was shown to people but didn't award official medals.
However, wheelchair rugby became an official sport in 2000. Since then, it has been a part of every Summer Paralympics. Only one event is held: a mixed team competition. This means teams can have both male and female players.
Paralympic Tournaments
Wheelchair rugby has been a thrilling part of the Paralympics for many years. Teams from all over the world compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals. Here's a look at the past tournaments and who won the top spots.
| Year | Host City | Gold Medal Game | Bronze Medal Game | ||||||
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| Gold Medalist | Score | Silver Medalist | Bronze Medalist | Score | Fourth Place | ||||
| 1996 details |
Atlanta |  United States |
37 - 30 |  Canada |
 New Zealand |
46 - 34 |  Great Britain |
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| 2000 details |
Sydney | United States |
32 - 31 |  Australia |
New Zealand |
44 - 32 | Canada |
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| 2004 details |
Athens | New Zealand |
31 - 29 | Canada |
United States |
43 - 39 | Great Britain |
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| 2008 details |
Beijing | United States |
53 - 44 | Australia |
Canada |
47 - 41 | Great Britain |
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| 2012 details |
London | Australia |
66 - 51 | Canada |
United States |
53 - 43 |  Japan |
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| 2016 details |
Rio de Janeiro | Australia |
59 - 58 | United States |
Japan |
52 - 50 | Canada |
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| 2020 details |
Tokyo | Great Britain |
54 - 49 | United States |
Japan |
60 - 52 | Australia |
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| 2024 details |
Paris | Japan |
48 - 41 | United States |
Australia |
50 - 48 | Great Britain |
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Medal Winners by Country
This table shows which countries have won the most medals in wheelchair rugby at the Paralympics. It includes results up to the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
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Countries That Have Competed
Some countries have played in every wheelchair rugby tournament at the Paralympics. These include the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain. Even though the 1996 tournament was a demonstration event, the medals awarded there still counted towards the overall medal totals.
The table below shows how each country has placed in every Paralympic wheelchair rugby tournament they've played in.
| Nation | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | |
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 Australia |
6th |  |
5th | |
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4th |  |
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 Belgium |
– | – | 6th | – | 7th | – | – | - | |
 Brazil |
– | – | – | – | – | 8th | – | - | |
 Canada |
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4th | |
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4th | 5th | 6th | |
 China |
– | – | – | 8th | – | – | – | - | |
 Denmark |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 7th | 7th | |
 France |
– | – | – | – | 8th | 7th | 6th | 5th | |
 Germany |
– | 7th | 7th | 6th | – | – | – | 8th | |
 Great Britain |
4th | 6th | 4th | 4th | 5th | 5th | |
4th | |
 Japan |
– | – | 8th | 7th | 4th | |
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 New Zealand |
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5th | – | – | 8th | - | |
 Sweden |
5th | 5th | – | – | 6th | 6th | – | - | |
 Switzerland |
– | 8th | – | – | – | – | – | - | |
 United States |
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See also
In Spanish: Rugby en silla de ruedas en los Juegos Paralímpicos para niños
- Rugby at the Summer Olympics
