Invictus spirit shines through as Aussies pass NZ player the ball for 'awesome' try

By Paige Cockburn
Updated yesterday at 8:14pm


It's not back-to-back goals or on-field domination that mean the most at Invictus — it is the moments of true comradeship.

And on Wednesday Australia scored big.

It was an electric match of wheelchair rugby between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, and the green and gold side were hard and fast, finishing on top 24 to 6.

But it was a touching gesture for their opponents that left a lasting impression.

Just before the full-time whistle blew, the Australian team passed the ball to Kiwi player George Nepata and made sure he got across the New Zealand goal line to huge cheers from the crowd.

Nepata, a tetraplegic after a military accident, is new to wheelchair rugby. And because a team member dropped out, he had to be on field for the entire game.

It was clear he was running out of energy, but when the Aussies surprised him with this moment, he punched his fists into the air and the joy was palpable.

"It was a very humbling experience and I will never forget it," Nepata said after the game.

"It took me by surprise, I just do my role out on the court and then out of nowhere all I could feel was everyone come up behind me and push me toward the goal line... it was awesome."

Although there are no friends on the field, with Aussie and Kiwi rivalry running deep, both teams spoke of the enduring ANZAC spirit that always came out on top.

"I'm not surprised at all that they would do something like that," NZ competitor Padre Darren O'Callaghan said.

The one female on the Australian team, Trudi Lines, said it was "the Aussie way" and what Invictus was all about.

Aussie Davin Bretherton, an amputee after a training accident, said they wanted to do something for George to show their respect and at half-time they planned the gesture of camaraderie.

"He was on the court for the whole time and we do realise how much heart and passion it must be to stay on the court and still push around," he said.

"To see him throw those arms up is a memory that I will cherish for a long time."

Nepata was injured in a training accident in Singapore in 1989 at age 22 when he fell off a stretcher and broke his neck.

His brother Damian was also seriously injured in a separate training accident in 1994 after the tank he was driving rolled and exploded.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-...e-try/10425418