Australian Wheelchair Rugby Head Coach Brad Dubberly has declared this week’s International Four Nations Tournament in Sydney a must-win, as his side steps up preparations for the World Championships later this year.

Staged by the Australian Paralympic Committee, the Four Nations tournament will be held at Sydney Olympic Park from April 28-May 2, and will play a critical role in determining the make-up of Australia’s 2010 World Championship squad.

And with an array of new faces getting set to compete in Sydney, the Australian coach will be watching intently to see who will step up against three of best Wheelchair Rugby teams in the World – New Zealand, Great Britain and Canada.

“The new guys bring an energy and excitement to the team which is great and they are very eager to get some more international experience under their belts before the World Championships,” Dubberley said.

“This is a chance to really develop the team as a whole and work on our combinations. It’s a new-look squad that the experienced players need to adjust to, to compliment the work of the new athletes.”

The tournament will present rising stars Josh Hose, Antonio Vecchio and Jason Lees with the chance to play International Wheelchair Rugby on home soil for the very first time. The trio all made their debuts for Australia during last year’s Asia Oceania Championships in which Australia took the gold medal, ensuring World Championship qualification in the process.
 
“To line up against such quality teams in front of our home crowd is going to be a great experience for everyone. And I think the new guys are more than ready to match up against their opponents,” Dubberley said.

“We hope that the people of Sydney get right behind us, and come out to Sydney Olympic Park throughout the tournament to support our team.”

Canada, who secured bronze at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, is touted as Australia’s biggest threat at the tournament. The Canadians will host the World Championships in Vancouver this September.

“New Zealand should not be overlooked either, they have some great players,” Dubberley said.
 
Beginning on Wednesday 28 April, each team will play each other twice (four games per day) over the course of the five day tournament, followed by semi-finals on Saturday and the medal rounds on Sunday. The gold medal match, in which Australia will be aiming to feature in, takes place at 2pm.

Held at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, more than 2000 school students from 48 schools across NSW and the ACT will attend the event. Members of the public are also being encouraged to attend.

Highlights of the finals will be televised on ABC2 from 9:30pm-11:30pm on Sunday 2 May.