Sunday 17th November 2024 was the start of 3 days of Workshops and Meetings with over 20 WWR member nations present all contributing to strong discussions on the development and future of Wheelchair Rugby.
Zonal catch ups were held with nations facilitated by John Timms, WWR Operations Manager.
The workshops focused on several key areas aimed at strengthening the future of wheelchair rugby.
Proposed rule changes were presented in depth by Stan Battock, Head of Technical, and Jacques Erasmus, Head of Classification, with a focus on ensuring fairness and improving the overall competitive experience.
Kathy Newman, Director of Competitions and Development, and Makiko Harada, Female Participation Task Group Member presented the WWR Gender Equity strategy and approach, outlining initiatives to foster inclusivity and equal opportunity across all levels of participation.
The workshops also introduced the WWR Academy Learning Plan, an educational framework designed to support athlete development, coaching excellence, and leadership growth presented by Richard Allcroft OBE, WWR President, and Rob Tarr, Head of Coaching.
A review of the competition structure and classification pathway was presented by Tim Johnson, Head of Competitions, detailing proposed changes to the Membership fee structure, an explanation on licence fees and proposed changes to the World Ranking System, and the Competition and Classification Pathway in particular for developing nations.
The General Assembly saw the important business World Wheelchair Rugby completed and elections saw Juan Pablo Salazar Salamanca elected as Vice President, and Stephen Loader and Martin Richard elected as Members at Large. Shae Graham was elected as the Athlete Representative.
WWR President Richard Allcroft OBE stated “Thank you to all of the World Wheelchair Rugby Member Nations who joined us for the General Assembly and Workshops held in Prague, Czechia this week. Your presence, valuable insights, and engagement were instrumental in making the General Assembly and Workshops a resounding success. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and progress together. Congratulations to Juan, Stephen, Martin and Shae on their elections. I look forward to continuing working with them along with the rest of the Board” He recognised the support from the hosts adding “Huge thanks also to the Czech Wheelchair Rugby Association who were excellent hosts and enabled the 4 days to run smoothly”.
Juan Salazar, Vice President said “It’s exciting times for our sport. I’m looking forward to continuing working as Vicepresident to grow our reach and make sure wheelchair rugby continues changing people’s lives around the world.”
Steve Loader, Elected Member at Large said “I am honoured to have been re-elected to the Board of World Wheelchair Rugby at the General Assembly in Prague. There is much to be done working with our athletes and members organisations, and I am looking forward to exciting times ahead for our sport.”
Martin Richard, Elected Member at Large, stated “I’m deeply grateful to the membership for placing their trust in me for a second term on the board of directors. This is a pivotal moment for WWR as we develop our next strategic plan. I remain committed to supporting the organization’s leadership as we work to grow our sport and prioritize key areas of advancement, including commercial opportunities and expanding global broadcast coverage.”
Shae Graham, Athlete Representative said “I am excited to be elected as the Athlete representative to world wheelchair rugby’s board. I am excited to work with the wwr athletes and the other board members to grow our sport.”