Image

Day one results: victory for GB as Denmark and Germany hit 60

Catch up on the day’s action here:

Host nation and Paralympic champions Great Britain kicked off the 2023 Wheelchair Rugby European Championship in style with a 55-32 victory over debutants Israel in the opening game of the tournament.

Despite a bright start from their opponents, Great Britain soon took a firm grip of the first match at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with their intense defensive pressure proving difficult for Israel to overcome. Stretching their lead out to 12 at half-time, the Paralympic champions were able to use the full depth of their squad with David Ross making his European Championship debut and a welcome return to elite wheelchair rugby for Coral Batey.

Defending champions France were next in action, defeating the Netherlands 52-43 in match that saw the Dutch side continue to apply pressure after a fast start from their rivals. France had stretched the lead to 11 points but a spirited fight back from the Netherlands closed the gap to seven in the final quarter. France dug in to secure a nine-point victory.

Denmark made a big statement in their first game, the world number seven and medal favourites hitting 60 points to defeat Switzerland 60-46 in the day’s third game.

In the final game of the day, Germany opened their account with a convincing 60-44 win over the Czech Republic but it was far from straightforward. A shaky end to the first half saw their lead cut to just three tries but they came out firing in the third quarter to put some distance between them and their opponents.

The drama continues tomorrow from 11am when Israel and Denmark will get us underway. Watch live on Channel 4 Sport YouTube here.