The Australian Gliders have wrapped up a valuable tour in Italy, using the opportunity to fine-tune their game ahead of next month’s Asia Oceania Zone Championships (AOZ) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Based at the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre, the Gliders played seven games at the Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, opening with a four-game series against France before taking on reigning Paralympic and World champions, the Netherlands.
They posted wins of 54–40, 45–33, 34–23 and 64–24 over France – where team captain Georgia Munro-Cook said the team’s growth was on full display.
“The team really came together through the four games against France, with everyone showing how much they had improved offensively and defensively. This was the first time I had played France, so it was fun playing against different players and working out how we can succeed,” she said.
Rising guard Katelin Gunn echoed the sentiment, praising the team’s growing cohesion.
“Our cohesion and unity are growing with every game, and the way we’re connecting on court is really starting to show in our results. It was an exciting opportunity to play France for the first time with the Gliders, especially as we build towards qualifiers. I can see the growth in our team and the way we’re supporting each other on court.”
The second stage of the tour gave the Gliders an opportunity to measure themselves against the world’s best, with results of 42–71, 24–71 and 38–86 against the Netherlands. Veteran and games record holder Shelley Matheson said the experience was invaluable.
“Playing the Netherlands was a great chance to test ourselves against the world’s best. Although we came up short on the scoreboard, we showed ourselves that we can compete with the top teams and that will give us a lot of confidence going into the games against Japan and China. I’m really proud of the team and the connection we continue to build on and off the court.”
Head Coach Craig Campbell said the tour provided both the confidence-building results and the high-level challenges that will keep pushing the team’s growth forward.
“The games in Italy provided us with the opportunity to confirm our style of play against a similarly ranked team in France and then put that to the test against the Netherlands.
“For many of our athletes it was the first time they had played either nation. A lot of hours have been put in on court and in the gym prior to the tour, and with another solid block of four weeks training in our Daily Performance Environments, our team is tracking in the right direction.”
The Gliders now turn their attention to the AOZ qualifiers, to be held from 4–16 November, where the top two teams will secure their place at the 2026 IWBF Women’s World Championships in Ottawa. Third and fourth place will earn a repechage opportunity in early 2026.
