play with Us
No matter what your level of hearing is you can pick up a Rugby ball and have some fun.
Elite Participation
The Australian Deaf Rugby team is made up of players who have a hearing loss of at least 50 decibels in one ear or both.
In April 2018, Australia hosted the World Deaf Rugby 7s tournament which attracted more than 180 athletes from all corners of the world including England, Ghana, Japan and Wales.
It was also the first International Deaf Women’s tournament ever staged with three female teams battling it out in Sydney.
More recently, both our Men's and Women's teams competed at the World Deaf Rugby 7s in Argentina, coming 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Local Clubs
During the non-touring season most ADR players play for local clubs in their area, with representation across NSW, QLD ACT, VIC and TAS.
ADR is committed to ensuring a continuation of programs to support local clubs through inclusion and development of opportunities for deaf rugby players.
Pacific Program
After the ADR team's success at the 2023 Deaf World Cup, Australia's Head Coach was asked to join Wallabies legends Radike Samo and Lote Tuqiri to help develop skills, build teamwork and run training sessions with the Fijian Deaf Rugby Team.
The outstanding success and rising popularity of rugby union across the Pacific, particularly the women’s game, looks set to continue with the announcement in February 2024 of the Australia-Pacific Rugby Union Partnership (APRUP), a program delivered by Rugby Australia with funding from the Australian Government, through PacificAus Sports.
ADR will continue to showcase its leadership in Deaf Rugby in partnership with Rugby Australia.