Warriors Community Foundation has teamed up with Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby to bring wheelchair rugby to the county.
A series of taster sessions which will take place at Perdiswell Leisure Centre in Worcester on four consecutive Friday evenings starting on October 15 and ending on November 5 (7pm to 9pm each evening).
Wheelchair rugby is an exciting fusion of ice hockey, handball, and rugby and was originally founded in Canada in 1977.
It is not only based on speed and chair contact, but is also a tactically intelligent game to be involved in. With the aim of driving the ball across the opponents’ try line, contact between wheelchairs is permitted, as players use their chairs to block and hold opponents.
The emphasis of the sport is on fun, excitement, and inclusion.
The taster sessions are open to adult players with a physical impairment. Participants do not need to be a wheelchair user to take part. Players of any ability, new players who have never tried this sport before, old players who have played previously but are thinking of playing again, as well as anyone who would just be interested in volunteering are all welcome.
If the sessions are successful, Warriors Community foundation are hoping to develop a local wheelchair rugby team with regular training sessions, which will be the first in Worcestershire.
“We are very excited to be able to offer the opportunity to participate in Wheelchair Rugby here in Worcestershire,” said Warriors Community Foundation Adapted Sports Lead Chris Stephenson.
“At the Warriors Community Foundation, we strive to create exposure to sports with a fun and inclusive atmosphere and we strongly encourage anyone who thinks Wheelchair Rugby could be for them to try this extremely integrative sport”.
Wheelchair rugby is a mixed team sport for both male and female physically disabled people. Sessions will be free and will be open to anyone interested in learning more about the game, including volunteers.
“It would be brilliant to have a wheelchair rugby club with Worcester Warriors. On the back of the gold medal at the Paralympics it will be exciting to offer disabled people in Worcestershire the opportunity to take part in our sport,” said Paul Arnold, GBWR Regional Development Officer.
For further details or to register to take part please contact paul.arnold@gbwr.org.uk or chris.stephenson@warriors.co.uk