New mum Ella Sabljak stars as Steelers defend Wheelchair Rugby World Championship crown
Ella Sabljak has returned to international competition with the Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team just 11 months after giving birth. She is competing in the World Championship in Brazil as part of a mixed-gender roster.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intersection of elite sports, motherhood, and inclusivity in international competition.
Sabljak returns to international competition just 11 months after giving birth to baby Billie. ( Supplied: Wheelchair Rugby Australia, Albin John )
Australia's Steelers have begun their Wheelchair Rugby World Championship defence in Brazil, with Ella Sabljak returning to international competition less than a year after giving birth.
Australia is bringing four female athletes to the mixed-gender tournament.
The Steelers will play five pool matches across the next four days, with the knockouts beginning on Saturday morning, Australian time.
Link copied Share Share article For Ella Sabljak, the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships will be a little different to her tournament debut in Denmark four years earlier.
Sabljak, one of four women on the Australian Steelers' mixed-gender roster for the event, is making her return to international competition less than a year after giving birth to her first child.
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