History in Brief
The Roller Hawks entered the National Wheelchair Basketball League in 2001, becoming the first regional team to play at the highest level in Australia. Although many of the athletes who play in the league are Australian representatives and/or Paralympians, they are not professional athletes as their NBL able-bodied counterparts are.
The Venue
The team plays out of the Shellharbour City Stadium, a leading sporting facility for disablity sport in the country and the Snake Pit, Beaton Park, the spiritual home of Illawarra basketball. Shelharbour City Stadium's status as a premier facility has seen the small South Coast region of Shellharbour host International fixtures and even a Paralympic qualifying tournament.
Administration
The Wollongong Roller Hawks club is affiliated with the National Wheelchair Basketball League and it's state-based Wheelchair Sport Association, www.wsnsw.org.au. A volunteer management committee administers the club, its committee members a mix of members of the Community with representations from the team's coaching and playing staff.
Team Mix
The nucleus of players is from the local area, and for the first 10 years of their existence with players from New Zealand and usually an Import Player. The NWBL charter allowing teams one import player on a given year's roster. For several years, however, the Roller Hawks, and in fact many of the NWBL clubs have no longer relied on high calibre import players. Athlete skill has increased dramatically and with Australia now with a high performance global profile, local and home grown talent is more than meeting supply demand.
In addition to competing at the elite level, the Roller Hawks and Illawarra Wheelchair Basketball promotes inclusion for all people with a disability through development pathways, school visits and community days by using sport as a great rehabilitator for injury and illness.
- NWBL Champions 2003 (defeating Brisbane 87-57)
- NWBL Champions 2011 (defeating Perth Wheelcats 95-85)
- NWBL Champions 2012 (defeating Perth Wheelcats 79-59)
- NWBL Champions 2017 (defeating Sydney Metro Blues 79-70)
- NWBL Champions 2018 (defeating Queensland Spinning Bullets 72-65)
- NWBL Champions 2019 (defeating Queensland Spinning Bullets 71-62)
- NWBL Champions 2022 (defeating Perth Wheelcats 75-66)
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