USA beats NZ in the Wheelchair Rugby Championships 2006
{{date|September 16, 2006}}
{{New Zealand}}
The United States of America have beaten the New Zealand [[w:Wheel Blacks|Wheel Blacks]] to win the [[w:Wheelchair rugby|2006 Wheelchair Rugby Championships]], the fourth championship ever held.

The final score was 34-30 at Christchurch, New Zealand's Westpac Stadium. The Americans had led by one point following the first quarter, 9-8, and went into half time with the US leading 16-15, but the lead spaced further apart going into the final quarter, 25-23.

US and New Zealand, the Athens 2004 paralympic champions, had played each other previously in the tournament with US coming out winner 42-34.

Grant Sharman, New Zealand Wheel Blacks coach, said: "The Wheel Blacks did not quite have their 'A game' in the final today and the Americans played extremely well."

US played a near-faultless game of wheelchair rugby, which won them the match.

The defending champions, Canada, finished third place overall by defeating Great Britain 23-19.

The final standings were:

#USA
#New Zealand
#Canada
#Great Britain
#Japan
#Australia
#Germany
#Belgium
#Sweden
#Netherlands
#Switzerland
#Denmark

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/831330
|title=No title for Wheel Blacks
|author=
|pub=One Sport
|date=September 16, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3799385a1823,00.html
|title=US win wheelchair final
|author=NZPA
|pub=stuff.co.nz
|date=September 16, 2006}}

{{Publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[Category:New Zealand]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Paralympics]]
[[Category:Wheelchair rugby]]
The United States of America have beaten the New Zealand Wheel Blacks to win the 2006 Wheelchair Rugby Championships, the fourth championship ever held.

The final score was 34-30 at Christchurch, New Zealand's Westpac Stadium. The Americans had led by one point following the first quarter, 9-8, and went into half time with the US leading 16-15, but the lead spaced further apart going into the final quarter, 25-23.

US and New Zealand, the Athens 2004 paralympic champions, had played each other previously in the tournament with US coming out winner 42-34.

Grant Sharman, New Zealand Wheel Blacks coach, said: "The Wheel Blacks did not quite have their 'A game' in the final today and the Americans played extremely well."

US played a near-faultless game of wheelchair rugby, which won them the match.

The defending champions, Canada, finished third place overall by defeating Great Britain 23-19.

The final standings were:

#USA
#New Zealand
#Canada
#Great Britain
#Japan
#Australia
#Germany
#Belgium
#Sweden
#Netherlands
#Switzerland
#Denmark

*
New Zealand Oceania North America United States Sports Paralympics Wheelchair rugby