SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – One of Australia’s most decorated national sporting sides, the Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team, has launched a groundbreaking public campaign – stripping back its iconic green and gold uniforms in a quest to find a long-term corporate partner.
Across many years, the Steelers have enjoyed significant, sustained success for Australia on the international stage, having won multiple medals at the Paralympic Games, are the defending World Champions and hold a current #2 world ranking. Despite this, navigating Australia’s competitive sponsorship landscape across high-performance sport has proven a challenge, as they are about to enter a major competition period without a team sponsor.
The ‘Officially Unsponsored’ campaign has been designed to put the Steelers in the shop window for brands looking for a point of difference and a way to cut-through, showcasing the team’s progressive mindset and boldly announcing themselves as an option for brands looking to engage with sport.
Athletes will wear the minimalist all-white uniforms with QR codes positioned where a sponsor’s logo traditionally would be placed. Scanning the code will lead to a purpose-built microsite, aptly named the ‘SponsorSHOP’, an Australian-first digital marketplace where brands can explore a curated range of sponsorship opportunities for the Steelers, from naming rights and apparel partnerships to event and campaign collaborations and more.
The SponsorSHOP provides a clear, accessible entry point for organisations seeking meaningful alignment with a successful, values-driven sporting program. Members of the public are also invited to explore the platform and tag brands they believe would be a strong fit for the Steelers, helping spark conversations between sport, business and inclusive representation more broadly.
Wheelchair Rugby Australia (WRA) CEO Chris Nay says the campaign reflects the program’s commitment to innovation both on and off the court.
Nay says “Despite years of continued success at the highest international level, one of the country’s most successful sporting teams remains without a sponsor. This campaign is about showcasing what modern sponsorship can look like, transparent, engaging and built on shared values. Our athletes are world-class performers operating in a high-performance environment with global reach, and this initiative is an invitation for brands to be part of our journey in a way that is fresh, flexible and impactful. The QR codes printed on their new stripped-back kits are a direct appeal to Aussie sport fans to scan, share and help bring brands on board to support our champion athletes who continue to deliver on the world stage. We’re hoping through this bold move, the entire country can support the Steelers in finding a sponsor to help us shape the future of the sport.”
Since its inclusion in the Paralympic Games in 2000, wheelchair rugby has grown into one of the world’s most dynamic and compelling disability sports. The sport is mixed-gender (with men and women playing on the same team), high-impact and uniquely exclusive to athletes with ‘quad impairment’ (3–4 limbs affected), making it the only sport of its kind at an elite level globally.
Momentum around the sport continues to build. In Australia, participation is at record levels, and audience engagement is growing rapidly. The 2025 Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge recorded a 243% increase in ticketed attendance compared to the flagship event the previous year, while more than 670,000 international viewers tuned in across four days of competition – clear evidence of the sport’s expanding reach and commercial potential.
Australian Steelers captain Chris Bond, a four-time Paralympian with two gold and one bronze medal, says the campaign reflects the pride athletes take in representing Australia.
Chris says “Wheelchair rugby reshaped how I see myself and what I believe is possible. We don’t just compete; we commit everything we have to this sport every time we take the court. Our team is excited by this campaign because it’s a bold new way to connect with not just any sponsor, but the right partner. This campaign isn’t about filling space on a jersey; it’s a statement of intent. We’re looking for a brand that shares our ambition, matches our standards, and wants to align with a team that leads with heart, excellence and purpose. Our new kits are an open invitation to brands ready to partner with one of Australia’s most driven, resilient and high-performing teams.”
This year the Steelers will compete in front of a home crowd and a global broadcast audience at the 2026 Santos Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge, to be held in Adelaide from 23 to 26 April. Additional international competitions include the Canada Cup in June, leading to the World Championship in August in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
As with any elite international program, long-term partnerships play a critical role in supporting athlete pathways, coaching and staffing expertise, equipment, and national and international competition. The SponsorSHOP has been designed to clearly demonstrate how commercial investment directly contributes to sustained success and the continued growth of wheelchair rugby in Australia.
“There is already some great corporate support for our events and community programs and pathways, we have some amazing longstanding partners in these spaces who have changed our sport forever. For whatever reason the Steelers still are yet to find that perfect fit. We are hopeful that the campaign is a way to showcase what we can contribute to a brand, as we search for the right fit and a longstanding, aligned partner for our team,” Nay says.
Wheelchair Rugby Australia’s high-performance program is proudly supported through the AIS Win Well initiative and the para-uplift funding provided by Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells and the Australian Government – investment that has underpinned the Steelers’ sustained international success.
Ogilvy Melbourne Group Creative Director Josh Murrell said “When we realised that one of Australia’s most successful teams in history didn’t carry a sponsor logo, it was clear the issue wasn’t performance. It was visibility – and we knew that’s where creativity could help. So we decided to turn the Steelers’ lack of sponsorship into the actual idea that could land them the kind of commercial support a team of this calibre can achieve.
“After all, this is an elite sport with elite athletes. The creative needed to reflect that standard, and we hope ‘Officially Unsponsored’ will give everyone – and particularly our sport-loving brands – a reason to stop, scan and see this outstanding team as one Australians can be truly proud of.”
The ‘Officially Unsponsored’ campaign extends an invitation to corporate Australia to join that journey by partnering with a proven, successful national team whilst contributing to the continued growth of one of the nation’s most compelling sports.
Australians are encouraged to scan, share and help connect brands with a team that has already earned its place among the world’s best.
CREDITS
Strategy, creative, PR: Ogilvy
Production: WPP Production
Production Partner: TSE (Total Sport & Entertainment)
Photographer: Sam Tolhurst
