A trio of Bull Sharks rugby players have helped the Australian Steelers return to the Paralympic podium with victory in the bronze medal match.
After missing out on a medal in Tokyo, the Steelers headed to Paris with ambitions of winning gold.
A crushing 52-51 overtime loss to Japan in the semi-final ended that dream but they bounced back 24 hours later to defeat 2020 Paralympic champions Great Britain 50-48 to claim their first ever bronze medal.
With two gold medals (Rio 2016, London 2012) and two silver medals (Beijing 2008, Sydney 2000) since the sport was introduced to the Paralympic Games in 1996, a Paris 2024 bronze medal completes the historical set.
The side featured Bond University Wheelchair Rugby Club athletes Ella Sabljak, Brayden Foxley-Conolly and Emilie Miller.
Sabljak, a 2020 Paralympian in wheelchair basketball, was delighted with her “rose gold.”
“We won a bronze medal, we won rose gold, and it is incredible,” she said.
“When that final buzzer came on and we won the game it was just amazing, I just wanted to go to all my teammates and give them a big hug.
“It was so exciting, and I am so proud of every one of my teammates.”
Bond was also represented in Paris by Para Triathlete Jeremy Peacock.
Peacock, who graduated from Bond University with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2012, finished eighth in the Men's Individual PTS4 with a time of 1.05.01