As eight countries compete in the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, Wheelaroos star Daniel Anstey is aiming to have a trophy in his hands by the end.
“I’m so excited to be representing Australia,” Daniel, 41, tells Woman’s Day shortly before the cup kicked off in Wollongong, NSW.
“And I can’t wait to play in front of my family. It’s something I never thought I would do.”
Brisbane-based Daniel, who was born with spina bifida and is also an amputee, first got involved with wheelchair rugby league four years ago after representing Australia in wheelchair basketball for 12 years, and the world championships for disabled waterskiing and wheelchair handball.
“Being born with a disability, rugby league is something I’ve always watched from the sidelines – whether it’s on TV or [watching] my younger brothers play from a young age.
“But now playing for Australia, it’s the pinnacle, and there’s no better feeling than representing your country. And it’s an awesome feeling playing at such an elite level.”
Daniel says wheelchair rugby is a lot more physical than wheelchair basketball, but the chair skills he developed previously have paid off.
“Both sports are tough in their own right,” he says.
“But there are a lot of technical chair skills, which have transferred well.”
No better feeling
The tournament, which is held every four years, will see the Wheelaroos take on the UK, France, New Zealand and US.
Daniel’s two sons Henry, five, and George, three, as well as his wife, Casey, will be cheering him on from the grandstands.
“They’re taking some time away from work and school to be at all my games,” he says.
And he could be raising the next generation of Wheelaroos, with Henry already playing in their local junior wheelchair league.
“George isn’t old enough to play yet, but that doesn’t stop him commandeering a chair and pushing around,” Daniel says proudly.
When asked who he thinks will be the strongest competitor for the Wheelaroos, Daniel admits England and France could be tough to beat.
“England won the last World Cup and beat France to do that,” he says nervously.
“But I think our team are in a place where we could beat either one!”
Whatever happens, Daniel won’t be letting nerves get the better of him.
“Once you’re out there and the game starts, they go away as you become focused on the game. It’s like tunnel vision. I don’t really hear or see anything else other than the game in front of me.”
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