Author: Editor Prime

World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) Anti-Doping Manager (ADM) is establishing a new Therapeutic Exemption (TUE) Panel and is looking for volunteers to contribute to this vital panel.

The TUE Panel duties are:

• To review and decide on TUE applications for athletes in the WWR Registered Testing Pool. 
  • To review TUE decisions made by other bodies to determine if an appeal should be made.

The TUE Panel will meet virtually as required to review and decide on TUE applications.

Panel members must be licensed physicians. Members should have experience in the care and treatment of Athletes, and sound knowledge of clinical, sports and exercise medicine. Expertise in the treatment of Athletes with physical impairments is an asset.

If you are interested in contributing, please submit your cv/resume to (office@worldwheelchair.rugby). You can also find out more about WWR TUE Panel from the ADM, Eron Main, please contact him at antidoping@iwrf.com.  

Please send in your expression of interest by February 28, 2022.

World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is establishing a Medical Advisory Group (MAG) and is looking for volunteers to contribute to the MAG.  This is an ad hoc group and the CMO does not anticipate meeting more than 2-3 times per year.

The MAG’s duties are:

• Provide guidance and advice to the CMO at the CMOs request.
• Review Medical Guidelines when requested.
• Provide input to matters of medical policy.
• Provide input to major issues e.g. Covid Mitigation Regulation and Return to Play protocols.
• Other medically related topics.

The MAG will meet virtually as and when required.

If you hold a medical license, have experience in adaptive sports and wish to contribute to the MAG please send your cv/resume to WWR office (office@worldwheelchair.rugby). You can also find out more about WWR MAG from the CMO, Ken Lee, please contact him at Ken.lee.va1@gmail.com.  

Please send in your expression of interest by February 28, 2022.

Ruth’s Risk Assessment and Mangement experience will be a valuable asset to the ARMC

Ruth is currently an internal auditor at the Office of The Auditor General Kenya and previously an external auditor auditing state corporations and projects under the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Cooperatives in Kenya and has significant experience in risk assessment and management.

Jen Braem (Chair of the ARMC) said “we are delighted to welcome Ruth to the ARMC and to utilise her risk assessment and management skills together with her enthusiasm    to work with WWR”. 

Ruth said “I am more than delighted to be part of the WWR family and I am looking forward to offering my services to the best of my ability. In her native tongue of Swahili   ”Umoja ni nguvu, utengamano ni udhaifu” (Unity strengthens, division weakens)”. 

WWR has developed an Introduction to Coaching Course. This course can be delivered in country. It is ideally delivered face to face (when it can be) with a WWR Coach Educator/Tutor.  The course can be delivered at weekends from Friday evening to Sunday and involves practical on court activities (or alternatives if weekends are Thursday night through to Saturday).  The hosting country will be required to fund the travel, accommodation and subsistence of the Educator/Tutor. If a Member Nation is interested, please express your interest by emailing the WWR Office (office@wheelchair.rugby).   

Subject to the demand, applications will be prioritised according to availability of Educators/Tutors within a region.

Adam Frost has been appointed as Head of Coaching Programmes and is looking for volunteers to become part of a Coaching Working Group which will be developing coaching programmes for Member Nations who currently do not have such programmes. This is a long-term programme over the next four years. The working group will also be looking to establish a Coach Educator/Tutor programme.  If you are interested and have a coaching or a coach education qualification, please send your cv to WWR office (office@worldwheelchair.rugby).

You can also find out more from Adam if you so wish by emailing him at afrost@iwrf.com.  Please send in your expression of interest by January 31, 2022.

Kenneth Lee, World Wheelchair Rugby Chief Medical Officer has published a book entitled – Concussion Management for Wheelchair Athletes – Evaluation and Examination

This book arises from the challenges and difficulties involved in the evolution and management of concussions in wheelchair athletes. Concussions are most readily identified in the ambulatory population via identifying gross motor instability or when athletes lose their balance and stumble after a blow to the head or neck region. Because wheelchair athletes participate in sport while sitting down and using a wheelchair, clinicians must be extra attentive to identify a potential concussion.

Once a potential concussion is identified, there are many challenges in evaluation of the wheelchair athlete population due to their comorbidities. At baseline, they may have signs and symptoms that mimic a concussion, and their impairments can also alter their cognitive and balance assessments. Therefore, it is critical to make a distinction between these athletes’ baseline comorbid impairments and potential new exam findings in a concussion.

Filling in a critical gap in the literature, this is a concise pocket guide for any clinician, trainer, or rehabilitation specialist who is involved in wheelchair sports. It focuses on the unique challenges in evaluating a concussion in the wheelchair athlete, including baseline testing, the process of evaluating the signs and symptoms of a concussion, cognitive and vestibular examination, new clinical techniques specific to wheelchair athletes, and the return to play process. A Concussion Management Program (CMP) for use on the sideline as well as in the office is included.

To purchase the book please visit the following link: Concussion Management for Wheelchair Athletes | SpringerLink

Welcome to new members of the Classification Committee

We are very pleased to announce that Patricia Beckwith (Argentina) has been appointed as the WWR Americas Zone Head of Classification.  We would also like to extend a warm welcome to Julie Bakke (Canada) who has also joined the Committee.  We know that both new members will bring their significant experience, unique perspectives and expertise to the committee, and we look forward to working together over the years ahead.  We now have 3 Committee members from each WWR Zone.  Our complete Classification Committee is:

Greg Ungerer (Australlia) – WWR Head of Classification
Patricia Beckwith (Argentina) – WWR Americas Zone Head of Classification
Izabela Sauerbier (Poland) – WWR European Zone Head of Classification
Jacques Erasmus (South Africa) – WWR Asia Oceania Zone Head of Classification
Viola Altmann (Netherlands) – WWR Classification Database Manager
Jens Sauerbier (Germany) – Athlete Representative
Anne Hart (USA) – Member
Binnie O’Dwyer (New Zealand) – Member
Julie Bakke (Canada) – Member

Changes to the Classification System for Athletes with Limb Deficiency

In October 2020, the Classification Committee released a draft of proposed changes to the way we classify athletes who have the impairment type of Limb Deficiency.  While we did receive some feedback from two Member Nations during the consultation period, this feedback did not identify any fundamental issues with the proposed system and did not result in any significant changes to the proposed system.  There is a copy of the new system available at WWR – World Wheelchair Rugby.  It can be found at the bottom of the Classification page in the Documentation section.

This new system of classification for athletes with Limb Deficiency represents a fundamental change to the way we classify athletes with this impairment type.  In accordance with our Classification Rules, when we make changes such as these, we are required to re-classify every athlete who has Limb Deficiency recorded as their impairment type in our Classification Database.

Effective January 1^st, 2022:

• All athletes with impairment type of Limb Deficiency will have their sport class status changed to R (review) status. This includes athletes who currently have C (confirmed) sport class status.
• These athletes will be eligible for classification at WWR licensed events where Classification Panels are present, subject to the normal prioritisation process for Classification slots – N (new) status athletes will have the highest priority for Classification, followed by R (review) status athletes and protested athletes.  Any remaining Classification slots at events will then be offered to athletes with FRD (fixed review date) status.
• Athletes with R (review) sport class status will be permitted to continue to compete in WWR licensed events with this R sport class status, even if Classification Panels are not present at those events, or there aren’t available slots for classification. Please note, this provision does not apply to the Paralympic Games under current IPC rules. 
• It is our intention to try to work through the re-classification of all impacted athletes as quickly as possible. However, we recognise that access to Classification Panels may continue to be impacted by the ongoing world-wide pandemic conditions that continue to restrict international movement.  The Classification Committee will continue to monitor this situation and provide further advice regarding these impacts as required.
• If, as a result of re-classification, C (confirmed) sport class status athletes have no change in their sport class, their C (confirmed) sport class status will be restored.
• If, as a result of re-classification, FRD (fixed review date) sport class status athletes have no change in their sport class, then the re-classification will advance their sport class status to the next stage, subject to the normal provisions described in the Classification Rules.  For example, FRD 1 athletes will advance to FRD 2, and FRD 2 athletes will advance to C if it has been more than 11 months since their previous classification.
• If, as a result of re-classification, any athlete has a change in sport class, their sport class status will reset to FRD 1, and the sport class and status change will be effective immediately. 
• Athletes who have a change to their sport class will have the opportunity to protest this decision, subject to the usual provisions for protests described in the WWR Classification Rules.

In January 2022, an updated version of the WWR Classification Rules will be published containing these changes to the Classification system. Our intention in working to implement these changes is to have a classification system for athletes with Limb Deficiency that is specific to that impairment type, and is therefore more open and transparent, and is able to be applied much more fairly and consistently across this group of athletes.

We would like to thank you in advance for your patience while we work through these changes, and we would ask you to remember that for many Classifiers, we will also be working with this new system for the first time at events during 2022. As always, we are very happy to answer questions and receive any feedback that you may have, in order to continue to improve and refine our systems.

Introducing the new WWR Competition Licensing Regulations formerly known as Competition Sanction.
by Kathy Newman, Head of Competitions

Are you planning to host a Friendly Match against another National Team?

Or are you planning to host an International tournament with world ranking points on the line?

Or are you planning to host an International tournament to get athletes classified?

Well WWR is introducing new regulations to replace the old event sanction regulations!

These new regulations are now referred to as WWR Competition Licensing Regulations.

WWR is required by the IPC Constitution to License all international matches and tournaments. We also gather the information on all international matches and competitions held within a quadrennial.  WWR submits this data to the IPC in order to be approved to participate in the Paralympic Games.  Often WWR is not aware of international matches or competitions taking place. This new Competition Licensing Regulation will assist us in tracking the data to ensure future inclusion in the Games.

Also, having knowledge and information of international competition provides useful data to demonstrate to stakeholders and potential partners of the amount of global activity taking place.

New Covid-19 Medical Mitigation Plan Regulations – Supporting Competitions for hosting a WWR Licensed Competition and a Practical Guide to Hosting Competitions

Thank you to Dr Ken Lee for writing these new regulations, to support the healthy and safety of registered athletes, coaches, officials and others, participating in WWR Licensed Competitions.  These regulations will be reviewed monthly so be sure to check on the website regularly for the most updated version of this document.

We would also like to thank Simon Starr for writing the Practical Guide to hosting during Covid-19.  Simon was the Technical Delegate for the 2020 WWR European Division B Championship where he had to apply these strategies to ensure the well being of the participants in the tournament.

WWR is seeking bids to host the 2022 WWR European Qualification Championship

One of the major challenges that WWR and it’s Member Nations have faced is condensing four years of competition into a three-year period following the unprecedented postponement of the Paralympic Games held in Tokyo. In order to find solutions, the European Championship Division B & C events have been brought together into what is being called the European Qualification Championship.

Please visit the WWR website to find the bid documents to host the 2022 WWR EQC.  The bid deadline is January 21, 2022.  If you are interested in bidding be sure to let Kathy Newman know at knewman@iwrf.com

Congratulations to Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby for winning the bid to host the 2023 WWR European Championship Division A

We received two exceptional bids to host this event and it was a difficult decision.  In the end we awarded the bid to GBWR.  Plans are to host the tournament in Cardiff, Wales.  Unique to the bid was the partnership they have formed with the Welsh Rugby Union.  We are looking forward to this event, which is planned to be held in the iconic Principality Stadium.

For the first time, the Organising Committee of a Rugby World Cup will integrate the organisation of the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup, after being appointed by World Wheelchair Rugby, the sport’s governing body.

Conscious of its social and environmental responsibilities, France 2023 wants to shift lines and organise an event with a positive impact for rugby, for society and for the planet. The France 2023 Organising Committee has a strong willingness to make Rugby World Cup France 2023 an event for all those involved in the broader rugby community.

The International Wheelchair Rugby Cup will take place between the quarter-finals and the semi-finals of Rugby World Cup France 2023, from 14 October to 21 October, in a location which will be announced soon.

This competition will reunited the eight best world-ranked nations, including France, in its position of host nation.

Organising this tournament during Rugby World Cup France 2023 is an opportunity to shine a light on some of rugby’s core values : diversity and equal opportunities, in a competition with mixed-gender teams.

This tournament will be organised by France 2023 with unprecedented standards of excellency, which will contribute to wheelchair ruby long-term growth, both in France and throughout the world.

As a symbol of this new collaboration, the pool draw for the upcoming Wheelchair Rugby European Championships will take place during the presentation of France 2023’s SCR strategy in Paris on December 7. The Wheelchair Rugby European Championships will be held in February 2022, in Paris.

Claude ATCHER (CEO of France 2023) : The France 2023 Organising Committee is proud and eager to organise this unique event: the International Rugby Wheelchair Cup. We want to give to this competition the visibility that it deserves and share the essential values that it carries: diversity, resilience, equality for all.

Richard ALLCROFT (President of World Wheelchair Rugby) : I would like to thank France 2023 in developing a partnership that will see the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup feature alongside the Rugby World Cup in France. It is an exciting time for the French people as they will look forward to many great events taking place over the next three years. I know that they will enjoy the fierce and competitive sport of wheelchair rugby and I would recommend to anyone that hasn’t seen our exciting Paralympic sport to come along and be involved.

EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, CARDIFF IN MAY 2023

World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) is excited to announce, that Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) have been awarded the hosting rights for the 2023 World Wheelchair Rugby European Championship Division A Tournament.

As Great Britain enjoys unprecedented success in wheelchair rugby, having claimed victory in the last three consecutive European Championships, the vision for the event is clear – to deliver the best European Championship ever!  This will be achieved not just by producing the ultimate experience for athletes, fans, volunteers, and partners but by creating a legacy of more people playing, volunteering and supporting the high impact, adrenaline packed game in Wales.

The eight-team event, which will be held in the iconic Principality Stadium in Cardiff from the 3-7 May 2023, will act as a qualifier for Paris 2024, with the top two teams automatically qualifying for the Paralympic Games.

Richard Allcroft, the President of World Wheelchair Rugby, added his thoughts: “I was impressed with the quality of the bid that was presented to WWR.  As the International Federation responsible for the sport globally, our championship events are an important showcase for what we know is an exciting sport.  I have no doubt that the Welsh community will welcome us and support an exciting event.  I look forward to seeing how the event grows over the next 18 months.”

Jim Roberts, GBWR gold medallist said: “What a time for wheelchair rugby! I was honoured to represent GB in Tokyo this summer and to return home with a gold medal was amazing.  Now to have GBWR showcase such a major event in my home country is just fantastic and I have no doubt that this is going to be brilliant for the sport I’ve spent so much time involved with.  I don’t believe there is anywhere more passionate about rugby than Wales and our world class stadium will showcase wheelchair rugby at its very best.  I am passionate about promoting the game and will be fully behind the community engagement planned as we aim to leave a true and lasting legacy in Wales.”

Community engagement and legacy were essential components of the winning bid and will form an important element in the lead up to, during and post the Championships.  The intention is to build on the development work of GB Wheelchair Rugby and the Welsh Rugby Union to ensure a meaningful legacy with the tournament organisers working closely with the Welsh Government, Cardiff City Council, schools and colleges, the Welsh Rugby Union, Disability Sport Wales, UK Sport and GBWR.  Whilst helping the community to better understand the challenges faced by those who are disabled, a key focus will also be on inspiration and motivation, demonstrating that disability is no barrier to an individual achieving their dreams. Alongside the tournament will be a festival of entertainment which will include a celebrity wheelchair rugby match.

The WRU and the Principality Stadium have been at the forefront of supporting the championship coming to Wales and being staged in the home of Welsh rugby. The stadium will give athletes an opportunity to perform in a venue which reflects their world standing as elite athletes in front of a passionate rugby-loving crowd!

The championships will be supported with grants from UK Sport, Welsh Government and GB Wheelchair Rugby, and with partner support from WRU, Cardiff City Council and Disability Sport Wales.

Photo: Megumi Masuda/World Wheelchair Rugby