Australian Cyclones Sign Off from Granollers: A World Championship Debut for the History Books

The Cyclones didn’t come home with a result, but they came home with a place in the sport’s story.

Image Credit: IHF, Kolektiff Images & Sasa Pahic Szabo

In September, the Australian Cyclones rolled onto the court in Granollers, Spain, and became the first Oceania team to appear at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship. They were one of four debutants in a record 12-nation field, and for the first time the championship spanned all six continents.

It was a big step for a squad that had never played an official continental or global wheelchair handball event. Despite that, they arrived determined to make the project a success. The ten players and three staff were chosen from national training camps, and they carried the first Australian wheelchair handball team onto the world stage under Head Coach Eoin Murray.

A tough draw, and a fight on court

The Cyclones landed in Group B with the United States, 2024 runners-up, and Japan. Japan has a long tradition in the sport and is one of the most experienced programmes in the field. That is a hard introduction to world competition.

Against the USA, the Cyclones showed they could defend. The opening set was a gritty contest, with the two sides combining for just five points in ten minutes. The USA took it 3:2, which was the lowest-scoring set in the championship’s history.

USA v AUS Game Highlights

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Japan v AUS Game Highlights

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The Cyclones then moved into the 9–12 placement group, where they met India and Libya. India and Libya both won 2:0 and the Cyclones finished 12th overall.

Libya v AUS Game Highlights

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India v AUS Game Highlights

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What the scoreboard doesn’t show

A 12th-place finish tells only part of the story. A year ago there was no Australian national wheelchair handball team. In 2026 there was a squad with a camp, a coaching staff and a flag on the court in Granollers, playing the best teams in the world, including defending champions Egypt and powerhouses like Brazil, Japan and the USA.

The lessons from Spain are valuable ones. The Cyclones saw first-hand the pace, physicality and shot selection of the sport’s most experienced nations.

Other milestones for the Australia's campaign:

• We achieved over 1 million reach on our new Instagram account including gaining over 600 new followers

• We launched the Australian Cyclones team brand

• We launched our new website for the sport

• 3 of our players scored Spectacular Goals - Dan Anstey, Brianna Keyes and Rick Engles

• We named a female Captain, Brianna Keyes

These are exactly the benchmarks a young programme needs to build from.

Thank you

To the players and staff who made the trip, thank you for putting Australia on the map. Thanks also to Handball Australia, to the families and supporters who followed along from home, and to everyone who got behind a brand-new sport.

What’s next

The momentum doesn’t stop here. The first-ever Australian Wheelchair Handball Nationals will be held 30 October – 1 November 2026 at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls. It is the next chance to grow the sport, find new talent and build the pathway that leads to the next Cyclones squad.

Want to be part of it? Get in touch via EOI form to register your interest as a player, volunteer or supporter.

The Cyclones are just getting started.

Wheelchair Handball is whipping up a storm in Aus.