Any sport that has earned the nickname "murderball" was always going to go down well in Australia. And wheelchair rugby, making its debut appearance at a Paralympic Games, hasn't disappointed in the slightest.

In truth, the game bears little resemblance to its namesake. The balls are round, there are just four players per team and the pitch is a basketball court. But the essence is there. This is a tough sport played by big, burly men and points are scored by crossing a try-line, ball in hand.

The other similarity is the tackling. Contact between the players is minimal but their chairs take a heavy beating as players seek to block each other's progress or charge upfield. The wheelchairs are fitted with bull-bars and need to be protected with armour-plating.

The collisions are thunderous. Stock cars don't have to endure the same kind of treatment. But injuries are rare, the chairs soaking up most of the punishment.

The sport, still in its infancy, was developed in 1977 by the Canadian Duncan Campbell. It evolved quickly and is now played by 12 countries. At yesterday's match between Britain and New Zealand's Wheel Blacks, there was another connection to rugby. At the start of the match both squads, looking like rival motorcycle gangs, lined up on halfway as New Zealand performed their own version of the haka.

In the demolition derby that ensued, predictably it was New Zealand who were the stronger, winning 46-37. The bulk of Paul Leefe, a man who relished the opportunity to steamroller all-comers, and the speed of Curtis Palmer were used to open an early lead from which the British could not recover.

A couple of thousand people were still enjoying the action at 10:30 p.m. local time, oohing and aahing in unison as one smash followed another. Earlier in the day the arena, which seats roughly 4,000, was full as Australia beat Sweden.

"Murderball" looks set to become yet another of the Sydney Games's success stories.