Private school boys sent home from rugby tour in Japan after allegedly taking wheelchair from disabled man

Three boys from a prominent Australian private school have been sent packing after they allegedly took off with a disabled man’s wheelchair while on a rugby tour.

The schoolboys are accused of taking a man’s wheelchair.

Three private school boys who allegedly took a wheelchair from a disabled man while on a rugby tour in Japan have been sent home to Australia.

The man, who is from the US but lives in Japan, posted a photo of the boys to social media in search of the trio after reporting the alleged incident to police.

He had been in Tokyo’s entertainment district Kabukicho when he claims the boys “sprinted away” with his wheelchair.

“My friends chased after them and couldn’t find them,” he wrote on Reddit.

The boys have since been identified as students from $20,000-a-year Ipswich Grammar School in Queensland.

The school confirmed to news.com.au that the boys involved have since been removed from the tour and have since returned to Australia.

A photo of the boys was posted by the wheelchair owner to social media. News.com.au has chosen to blur their faces as they are under 18. Picture: Supplied

It costs more than $20,000 a year to send a Year 11 student to Ipswich Grammar School. Picture: Supplied

The man said he reported the incident to police who found the wheelchair dumped in a nearby side street about two hours later.

After finding out through social media the name of the boy’s school, the man also reported the incident to Ipswich Grammar.

“Ipswich Grammar School has been informed of an incident that occurred in Japan,” a spokeswoman for the school told news.com.au.

“Following an investigation, the students involved have been removed from the tour.

“We have taken the matter seriously and the school is addressing it as per our policies.”

As of 2024, Ipswich Grammar School increased their school fees to $5,145 per term for students from Year 9-11, totalling $20,580 a year.

Ipswich Grammar School opened a new $10.5 million STEM building in 2021. Picture: Supplied

The school has a gymnasium, weights, fitness facilities, a 50m heated pool and a multipurpose sports dome. Picture: Supplied

News.com.au has contacted local Japanese authorities.

The disabled man said police had video of the boys running away with his wheelchair, however, have not taken any further action.

“It was basically in the centre of Kabukicho,” he wrote.

“I can walk short distances and stand well enough so it really just wasted my buddy’s nights [because] they had to walk up and down for two hours looking for [the wheelchair]”.

The man said Ipswich Grammar School told him they were going to “let me know what the repercussions ultimately were”.

“Thanks to everyone who helped find them,” he wrote.