Photo courtesy World Wheelchair Rugby
USA Wheelchair Rugby celebrates after winning Gold in Brazil.
USA Wheelchair Rugby recently staked their claim as the best wheelchair rugby team in the Western Hemisphere after winning the 2025 World Wheelchair Rugby Americas Championship in São Paulo, Brazil.
The team, led by co-captains Chuck Aoki and Sarah Adam, played a masterful tournament under the guide of coaches Joe Delagrave and Eric Newby. After finishing pool play undefeated against national teams from Argentina, Brazil and Peru, the U.S. team faced tough competition from one of the most talented teams in the tournament, Colombia.
After the match against Colombia, head coach Joe Delagrave said, “We know that they are a solid squad and would come out quick – we would need to come out strong ourselves and certainly did so today. We have been working hard to have multiple lines we can implement to address what we expect and to pivot as the match dictates."
The team found itself in a rematch against host nation Brazil for the gold medal. While the U.S. scored the first try of the match, the Brazilian team answered quickly, causing multiple turnovers throughout the first half. However, the U.S. responded to the turnovers with a strong defensive strategy, finishing the first half with a comfortable lead. The team continued to extend this throughout the second half, ending the match with a final score of 61-47 over the home team.
This win not only secured the gold for USA Wheelchair Rugby at the Americas Championship but also qualified them for a spot at the 2026 World Wheelchair Rugby World Championships, also taking place in São Paulo next summer.
According to Delagrave, “We came here to not only qualify for World Championships, but to win this prestigious event. This was no easy task this week as the level of play in the Americas continues to get better and better. I am proud of the team and how they responded; so grateful to the staff for their incredible dedication and hard work and to our family and fans here and back home who support us every day! We want to thank World Wheelchair Rugby and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee for organizing this tournament here in São Paulo and look forward to coming back next year for World Championships!”
