Japan edges Canada at 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship

Photo: Kevin Bogetti-Smith/Wheelchair Rugby Canada Canada

VEJLE, Denmark – Down by four after the first quarter, Canada could not catch defending champion Japan on Wednesday, losing 52-47 in its morning game at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship.

With the loss, Canada drops to 0-2 and faces Colombia later today at 11 a.m. (ET). Japan, ranked number-one in the world, is undefeated after three games.

Zak Madell of Okotoks, Alta. led Canada in scoring with 28 points while Shayne Smith of Toronto and Cody Caldwell of Peterborough, Ont. added four apiece.

Japan led 14-10 after the first quarter, but the sixth-ranked Canadians won the second quarter 13-12 to close the gap to 26-23 at the half. Japan was up 40-35 after three. 

In other Pool B action, Colombia dropped to 1-2 falling to Denmark Wednesday morning 52-44. Brazil is also looking for its first win.

Canada closes out the preliminary round Thursday with games against Brazil and Denmark. The top-four in each pool advance to the playoffs.

Canada’s games are available through the Paralympic Super Series, with three matches set to stream live and two games aired via extended highlights shows. They all can be viewed on on Paralympic.ca and the CPC’s Facebook page as well as CBC Sports digital platforms, including the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices.

Canada’s remaining round-robin schedule is: 

Wednesday October 12
Canada vs. Colombia – 5 pm local time / 11 am ET – LIVESTREAM

Thursday October 13
Canada vs. Brazil – 10 am local time / 4 am ET (game will air via delayed highlights show)
Canada vs. Denmark – 6 pm local time / 12 pm ET – LIVESTREAM

To learn more about the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship, visit 2022WRWC.com.