Australia is set to defend its world title at the GIO Wheelchair Rugby World Championship this August, with insurer GIO's own Ryley Batt taking the charge.

Batt will represent the Aussie Steelers in defending the nation's Olympic and world titles against the likes of the US, Japan, and Great Britain at the Sydney Olympic Park, from Aug. 5 to 10, for a fourth consecutive win.

“The dream for any athlete is to compete at the highest level; for us that’s the Paralympics and World Championship,” Batt said. “Not many athletes get to experience those events; even fewer get to do it on home soil. It’s really special.”

GIO, part of the Suncorp network, is a long-standing supporter of wheelchair sports, particularly in NSW, where it has a nearly 10 years' naming-rights partnership of the GIO Oz Day 10k, and is also naming-rights partners of the NSW Gladiators wheelchair rugby team and the National Wheelchair Rugby Championships.

Two years ago, GIO's support of wheelchair rugby and its commitment to Disability Sports Australia led to the Sydney-hosted Wheelchair Rugby World Championships.

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