Author: Editor Prime

The Sport  

This is what “Wheelchair Rugby” is all about: 

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The Organisation 

As an International Federation, we are professionalising the organisation, developing and putting in place strong governance and aiming to position the sport of wheelchair rugby as a “world leader in Para sport”. We have a great product and with strong and diverse leadership this can benefit athletes with a disability as well as their families and an amazing volunteer base of which the organisation is massively reliant on.  We have an ambitious strategic plan in place: 

IWRF Strategic Plan 2019 – 2024 Executive Summary

The role 

• This is a voluntary role on a non-executive Board. 

• The successful candidate will be the lead on the board in terms of financial matters, providing oversight to the operational financial management which is currently being delivered by a service provider.  
• It involves being chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, providing advice to the board. 
• The position would also contribute to all strategic matters. 
• Candidates would be expected to scrutinise board papers, support the CEO and provide challenge constructively. 
• We host board meetings six weekly at 8/9 PM UTC time. Approximately 2 hours duration. 

• There may be one in-person meeting per year.  
• Audit and Risk Management meetings will take place 2 or 3 times a year to link with board meetings. 
• There may be occasions where an additional day or two may be required to pull together yearly financial reports. 
• Attendance at international events is minimal. 

The person 

• Strong and varied experience within finance is mandatory (Certified Public Accountant or recognised equivalent). 
• Some knowledge of the sporting landscape would be favourable. 
• Committed to the values of the organisation. 
• Expenses are provided where travel or achieving the above is required. 

Deadline for receipt of interest – 26th of February 2021 

Interviews – 1st of March 2021 (week commencing) 

Board Meeting – 9th of March 2021, 20:00 UTC 

Contact the IWRF CEO, Steve Griffiths for more information via the office@IWRF.com  

My message at the start of 2021 is about looking forward. This feels obvious as we go through the current pandemic. I was hoping to start the year with a clear vision towards how we may be re-starting international competition after a year of no wheelchair rugby. The situation is still serious in many parts of the world and I was saddened recently to hear that the UK had suffered 100,000 deaths from this non-discriminatory virus. This unfortunately is not isolated and we are seeing high levels of infection globally.

The hope of a vaccine being successful in battling the virus is no doubt high on everyone’s thoughts but we must maintain the guidance of our national governments, particularly for those of us that are still isolating and possibly in a national lock-down. It’s encouraging to see how some nations have successfully contained the spread of the virus.

Our vision of being a “World Leader in Para Sport” is still very much alive. It was not through choice but the pandemic has allowed the organisation to review what we do and how we go about it. It has not diminished my ambition and the collective belief of all involved in the IWRF in driving towards our vision. We mean this in many ways and as the year unfolds, you will see the IWRF growing from strength to strength with several initiatives across the whole range of our activities including governance, education, anti-doping, disciplines, classification, rules, competitions. We will keep the communication channels open and if you wish to contribute on any matters, we encourage you to let me know.

I would like to expand on two areas, competition and disciplines.

Firstly, guiding the sport through the need to re-evaluate its international competition structure for the next four years. Whilst the postponed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games defined a large part of the structure, there was a need to keep a firm focus on the World Championship in Denmark in 2022, our Zonal Championships and our inclusion of the low point game in The World Games, Alabama 2022.

Also, the exciting International Wheelchair Rugby Cup in Paris 2023. Our sport partner, World Rugby continue to be supportive and we are working with them more closely to ensure our competition is successful and complements the “mega event” that is the Rugby World Cup, France 2023.

Secondly, by continuing how we approach engaging and developing with disciplines in addition to the Paralympic wheelchair rugby game. It is an exciting concept and also one that for some are either concerned or unsure about. For me, this is about providing the opportunity for more people to play wheelchair sport. Since I first started playing the game in the early 1990s, people have come along to training and wanted to be included. I always tried to provide the opportunity but it was always tainted with having to tell people that they couldn’t compete either nationally or internationally. Having this pathway from training to competition is central to giving people the inspiration and the aspiration to “have a go”.

Developing alternative disciplines provides more “Rugby for All”. Our classification system is one of the best in the Paralympic Movement and we should be proud of this. It is not perfect and we know that for some individuals we provide the opportunity of “protests” to try and ensure we provide consistency in their final sports class.

Classification defines which individuals can compete but only in the Paralympic discipline. I know that there is room within our organisation to be more inclusive and attract people with functional abilities that can compete in disciplines such as Rugby 5s.

This is how we can grow the sport not just internationally but nationally at the grassroots. We can create stronger club teams that can have both disciplines with an overlap so that some players can compete in both disciplines. At our membership conference last year in October we saw that approximately 42% of Rugby 5s athletes can also compete in the Paralympic discipline.

I continue to wish everyone their best in how they as individuals and their countries tackle the pandemic. Keep active as much as is safely possible.

Kind regards Richard

Richard Allcroft

IWRF President

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee (Tokyo 2020) today published the first Playbook, a resource which outlines the personal responsibilities key stakeholders must take to play their role in ensuring safe and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.

The series of Playbooks provide a framework of basic principles that each key stakeholder group will follow before they travel to Japan, when entering Japan, during their time at the Games and when leaving the Games. They will provide direction and set parameters that will enable people and organisations to advance their planning at this stage. A preview of the Playbook for athletes was already given in a call with the Global Network of Athletes’ Commissions on Monday.

The first of this series of Playbooks is, for logistical reasons, aimed at International Federations and Technical Officials. Playbooks for the athletes, media and broadcasters will be published in the coming days. Accompanying the publication of each Playbook will be a series of briefings from the IOC, IPC and Tokyo 2020 with the stakeholders in question.

These Playbooks are the official, centralised source of information for the Olympic and Paralympic Games stakeholders, and the first versions will be updated with more detail over the coming months, as the global situation relating to COVID-19 becomes clearer ahead of the Games. 

The Playbooks are the basis of our game plan to ensure that all Olympic and Paralympic Games participants and the people of Japan stay safe and healthy this summer. They have been developed jointly by Tokyo 2020, the  IOC and the IPC. They are based on the extensive work of the All Partners Task Force, which also includes the World Health Organization, the Government of Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, independent experts and organisations from across the world, and the interim report published by the Three-Party Council in December 2020.

In addition, they also draw upon the lessons learned from the successful measures being implemented in other sectors, including the successful resumption of thousands of international sports events across the world. Each stakeholder group will have to follow specific guidelines tailored to their individual operational needs. However, in this first edition, stakeholders will find many of the standard and commonly accepted key health countermeasures currently being implemented around the globe relating to personal hygiene, testing and tracing.

The Playbooks also outline a typical journey for each stakeholder group, beginning with measures starting 14 days before arriving in Japan, testing before departure and upon arrival in the country, and the use of smartphone applications to report health and support contact tracing during Games time. Measures will also be in place to identify, isolate and treat any potential positive cases.

In the Athletes and Team Officials Playbook, for example, this stakeholder group will learn more about their time in the Olympic and Paralympic Village. There they will be subjected to strict control measures to ensure their safety. This will include limiting the amount of time athletes and support staff stay in the Village, restrictions on socialising outside the Village, their movement between official Games venues, and a COVID-19 screening system that will see athletes and support staff screened during the Games.

The measures outlined in the first version of the Playbooks will be gradually built on over the coming weeks, as and when circumstances change and subsequent decisions are made. Information will continue to be shared and updates to the Playbooks are expected by April and June, providing more details that will allow people to progress to the next stage of planning.

Speaking about the publication of the Playbooks, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said: “The health and safety of everyone at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are our top priority. We each have our part to play. That’s why these Playbooks have been created – with the rules that will make each and every one of us a sound, safe and active contributor to the Games. We know these Olympic Games will be different in a number of ways.

“For all Games participants, there will be some conditions and constraints that will require flexibility and understanding. We are providing the main directions at this stage, but naturally don’t have all the final details yet; an update will be published in the spring and may change as necessary even closer to the Games. We will make sure all the information needed is shared as quickly as possible to ensure we are fully prepared to protect all those coming to and residing in Japan during the Tokyo 2020 Games.”

He continued: “By committing to following the Playbooks we will be stronger together. In return, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be remembered as a historic moment for humanity, the Olympic Movement and all those contributing to their success.”

Craig Spence, the IPC’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer, said: “To ensure safe and successful Games this summer, every single stakeholder involved in, or attending the Games has a key role to play. Central to this are the Playbooks that form an integral part of a new and robust masterplan developed over the last 12 months to protect every Games stakeholder and, importantly, the people of Japan during Tokyo 2020.

“Since March 2020’s postponement we know much more about COVID-19, while the thousands of international sports events that have taken place safely over the last year have given us valuable learning experiences. Combining this new knowledge with existing know-how has enabled us to develop these Playbooks, which will be updated with greater detail ahead of the Games.”

Tokyo 2020 Games Delivery Officer Nakamura Hidemasa commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the daily lives of people around the world, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games need to adapt accordingly. Safety and security have become everyone’s top priority, and this summer’s Games will be no different. Accordingly, Tokyo 2020, the IOC and the IPC have jointly published individual Playbooks for each stakeholder outlining the rules that need to be followed by all Games participants.

“The Playbooks were created from the perspective of the participants themselves, based on the interim summary that was published at the Coordination Meeting for COVID-19 countermeasures last December. They include not only the specific measures that need to be taken, but also details of the rules that need to be observed and the appointment of a single person to oversee COVID-19 countermeasures in each stakeholder group to ensure effectiveness. The purpose of this first edition is to communicate ‘what we know at this time’ to a large number of people in an easy-to-understand manner. The Playbooks will be updated to the second edition this spring as the situation changes.

“Through careful communication we would like to ensure that everyone involved in the Games around the world is aware of our plans. We hope thereby to assure them that, if each and every one of them follows the rules when participating in the Games, they can be held in a safe and secure manner. We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we would like to express our gratitude to the medical professionals, essential workers and everyone else who is working hard to ensure this. In the meantime, we will continue our preparations for ensuring safe and secure Games in the spirit of safety will be the number-one priority for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The first published Playbook for International Federations can be viewed and downloaded from https://www.paralympic.org/tokyo-2020/playbooks and via the IOC and Tokyo 2020 websites. Upcoming stakeholder Playbooks will be published after the respective stakeholder briefings.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Feb 2, 2021) – The World Games 2022 will put the best that Birmingham has to offer front and center to the countries across the globe. The announcement of three new competition venues for The World Games 2022 by The Birmingham Organizing Committee today showcased the city’s history and commitment to excellence front and center. Legion Field, Birmingham CrossPlex and Boutwell Auditorium, in addition to previously announced Protective Stadium, are four of the 25 official venues hosting an array of sports when The World Games 2022 commences in July of next year.

“We’re excited to officially begin announcing our venues,” The World Games 2022 CEO Nick Sellers said. “These are four of the best places to enjoy sports in our community. And by July of 2022, we will finally be able to fill all of the seats in these beautiful venues again as we serve host to the first major international sporting event coming out of this pandemic.  Each of these venues is a prime example of our city’s love of sports.

Historic Legion Field, the current home of University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers football, opened in 1927 and was named after the American Legion, an organization of American military veterans. Legion Field, seating 71,594, is no stranger to fierce competition, having hosted the Iron Bowl until 2000, the Magic City Classic, and each year of the Birmingham Bowl.

That football tradition will continue with The World Games 2022 when Legion Field plays host to Flag Football @TWG2022 Presented by the NFL, featuring eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams.

Opened in April 2011, the Birmingham CrossPlex is a 750,000 square-foot multi-purpose athletic facility featuring a world-class indoor track, a 50-meter indoor Olympic swimming pool, a 5,000 square-foot meeting hall and the Bill Harris Arena, a 20,000 square-foot multipurpose space.

During The Games, spectators at the CrossPlex can enjoy several different competitions, including Inline Hockey, Artistic Roller Skating,  Speed Skating (indoor and outdoor), Wheelchair Rugby, Lifesaving, Finswimming, and Canoe Polo.

Boutwell Auditorium, a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena, was constructed in 1924 and has hosted a wide-range of events, including concerts, sporting events, banquets, galas, trade shows and more.

Fans who make their way to Boutwell during The Games will see exciting martial arts action, including Sumo, Kickboxing and Muaythai.

Protective Stadium will serve as the host venue for the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony of The World Games 2022.

The new $180 million Protective Stadium, which is scheduled to be completed later this year, will have a seating capacity of 47,100 and will also be the permanent home of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers football team.

“Birmingham’s world-class, multi-sport CrossPlex and the historic Boutwell Auditorium are not only great venues, but key gathering places for our communities. These venues capture the spirit of The World Games 2022, providing opportunities for our international guests and the people of Birmingham to gather as one to celebrate athletic excellence,” Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said. “The excitement will only build over the next 18 months as the world prepares to come to Birmingham.”

“Sustainability has always been one of the core values of The World Games, which is why the host cities are not required to build new venues for The Games,” said IWGA CEO Joachim Gassow. “Birmingham has excellent conditions for hosting international sports events, and these three venues, along with the new Protective Stadium and other impressive existing facilities, will be perfect stages for our world-class athletes.”

The World Games 2022 Birmingham will take place July 7-17, 2022 and will generate an estimated $256 million in economic impact for the city.

ABOUT THE WORLD GAMES 2022

The World Games 2022 Birmingham will be an extraordinary Olympic-style sports experience where elite athletes from all over the world compete for gold in 34 unique, multi-disciplinary sports. Featuring 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries, the international event will unite global fans with the Birmingham community in 25+ unique venues around the greater metropolitan area. The World Games 2022 Birmingham, which marks the 40th anniversary of the event, will take place from 7-17 July 2022 and will generate an estimated $256 million in economic impact. The World Games was established by the International World Games Association, an organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee. For more information visit TWG2022.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Seong’s legal, sports industry background and strategic thinking will provide an invaluable input to the IWRF Board.

Seong is currently Chief Counsel, Commercial and Technology Legal Services with UEFA and brings with him a wealth of experience in the sports industry including having worked with ISL Worldwide and FIFA. Seong has indicated that he wishes to contribute his knowledge and experience for the benefit of a sports organisation so as to bring meaningful benefit and change to the lives of those it touches rather than “simply” adding to commercial and sporting success.

Richard Allcroft – IWRF President

“It was a pleasure meeting with Seong and listening to his motivation for being involved in wheelchair rugby. I am excited that he has accepted the appointment and I look forward to his contribution to the sport. Having someone of his experience providing a fresh perspective, ideas and strategic approaches to our business will be extremely beneficial”.

As part of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) commitment to education and the development of balanced anti-doping programs worldwide, the Agency wishes to highlight three new education resources for athletes and athlete support personnel (ASP) that are available on its new and improved Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL), which was launched on 6 January 2021.

The Athlete Guide to the 2021 Code and the ASP Guide to the 2021 Code provide information on the significant changes within the new World Anti-Doping Code (Code) that entered into effect on 1 January 2021. The Guides also contain information regarding roles and responsibilities and the types of Anti-Doping Rule Violations under the Code. Both Guides are currently available in English, French, Spanish and Slovenian, with more languages to be released in the coming months.

The Athletes and ASP Guide to the 2021 Prohibited List, explains the main changes to the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List) that entered into effect on 1 January 2021. It also provides an early notification of the change in status of Glucocorticoids that will come into effect on 1 January 2022, as approved by WADA’s Executive Committee in September 2020. This Guide is currently available in English, with French and Spanish to be published shortly and other languages to be released in the coming months.

Each of the above resources is available on WADA’s ADEL Platform and can be viewed digitally or downloaded as a PDF.

About WADA’s new ADEL Platform

WADA’s new ADEL Platform provides education and learning opportunities for the anti-doping community worldwide – including athletes, coaches, parents, medical professionals and more. Anti-doping practitioners can also find learning opportunities to help them carry out their roles, and resources to support development of their anti-doping programs as part of the Code Implementation Support Program (CISP).

WADA invites all Anti-Doping Organizations to visit the new ADEL Platform and to encourage National Federations, athletes and ASP under their jurisdiction to do so as well. We also invite stakeholders to consult the ADEL Roadmap, which is updated on a monthly basis, to keep track of new courses and resources, along with information on their available languages, formats and timelines for release.

Lastly, we wish to highlight that some of our previously published resources, such as the ‘At a Glance Series’, are currently being updated in line with the 2021 Code and will be available on ADEL once finalized. We are prioritizing digital versions at this time which can be viewed on the ADEL Platform or via the ADEL by WADA Mobile App.

Should you have any questions regarding the ADEL Platform or any of the above-mentioned Guides – including how to make a request to translate our education resources – please visit the ADEL Helpdesk.

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Dans le cadre de l’engagement de l’Agence mondiale antidopage (AMA) en faveur de l’éducation et du développement de programmes antidopage équilibrés dans le monde, l’Agence souhaite mettre en avant trois nouvelles ressources éducatives pour les sportifs et le personnel d’encadrement des sportifs qui sont désormais disponibles sur sa nouvelle Plateforme d’éducation et d’apprentissage antidopage (ADEL) améliorée, lancée le 6 janvier 2021.  
 
Le Guide du sportif : changements majeurs dans le Code 2021 et le Guide pour le personnel d’encadrement du sportif : changements majeurs dans le Code 2021 fournissent des informations sur les changements importants apportés au nouveau Code mondial antidopage (Code) entré en vigueur le 1er janvier 2021. Ces guides contiennent également des informations concernant les rôles et responsabilités et les types de violations des règles antidopage dans le cadre du Code. Ces deux guides sont actuellement disponibles en anglais, français, espagnol et slovène, et seront publiés dans d’autres langues dans les mois à venir.
 
Le Guide des sportifs et du personnel d’encadrement pour la Liste des interdictions 2021 explique les principaux changements apportés dans le cadre de la Liste des substances et méthodes interdites (Liste) entrée en vigueur le 1er janvier 2021. Il fournit également des informations sur le changement de statut des glucocorticoïdes qui entrera en vigueur le 1er janvier 2022, tel qu’approuvé par le Comité exécutif de l’AMA en septembre 2020. Ce guide est actuellement disponible en anglais. Le français et l’espagnol seront publiés prochainement et d’autres langues suivront dans les mois à venir.
 
Chacune des ressources ci-dessus est disponible sur la nouvelle Plateforme ADEL de l’Agence et peut être consultée sous forme numérique ou téléchargée en format PDF.

À propos de la nouvelle Plateforme ADEL de l’AMA

La nouvelle Plateforme ADEL de l’AMA offre des outils d’éducation et d’apprentissage à la communauté antidopage, en particulier aux sportifs, aux entraîneurs, aux parents, aux professionnels de la santé et à bien d’autres encore. Les praticiens de la lutte contre le dopage peuvent également trouver sur ADEL des options d’apprentissage qui les aideront à remplir leur rôle, ainsi que des ressources pour appuyer le développement de leurs programmes antidopage dans le cadre du Programme de soutien à la mise en œuvre du Code (CISP).
 
L’AMA invite toutes les organisations antidopage à utiliser la nouvelle Plateforme ADEL et à encourager les fédérations nationales, les sportifs et le personnel d’encadrement sous leur juridiction à en faire de même. Nous invitons également les parties prenantes à consulter la Feuille de route  d’ADEL, qui est mise à jour tous les mois, pour rester à l’affut des nouveaux cours et nouvelles ressources, ainsi que des informations sur les langues disponibles, les formats et les délais de publication.

Enfin, nous tenons à souligner que certaines de nos ressources publiées précédemment, telles que la série « En bref », sont actuellement en cours de révision pour être en ligne avec le Code 2021 et seront disponibles sur ADEL une fois finalisées. Nous donnons actuellement la priorité aux versions numériques qui peuvent être consultées sur la Plateforme ADEL ou via l’application mobile « ADEL par l’AMA » (en anglais).
 
Pour toute question concernant la Plateforme ADEL ou l’un des guides mentionnés ci-dessus, y compris sur la façon de faire une demande pour traduire nos ressources éducatives, veuillez consulter le centre d’assistance d’ADEL.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has opened the nomination process for the IPC Athletes’ Council, ahead of an election that will take place at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The IPC Athletes’ Council is a highly engaged group consisting of 12 current and retired Paralympians, and one from the IOC Athletes’ Commission Representative. Their mission is to be the voice of current, future and retired Paralympic athletes within the Paralympic Movement, in the strategic direction of the IPC, and to support athletes both on and off the field of play.

The term of office for the six summer athlete representatives on the IPC Athletes’ Council (elected during the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games) will come to an end during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Candidate applications are being accepted until Friday 2 April 2021, and candidates must be nominated via their respective National Paralympic Committees (NPCs). Only the six summer sport spots are up for election.

The role requires time commitment to actively participate in on-site gatherings; effective communication skills both in written and spoken English to relay athlete-related issues to the Movement’s leaders; as well as a high level of knowledge of the Paralympic Movement. Further details on the roles and responsibilities of the Council members are available at https://www.paralympic.org/athletes-council

Chelsey Gotell, the outgoing IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson, said: “I’m proud of the progress that the IPC Athletes’ Council has achieved over the last five years in increasing its presence and voice within the IPC and the wider Paralympic Movement. We’ve established and are now in the implementation phase of the first ever IPC Athletes’ Council strategy and are keen to ensure that the momentum we’ve built continues, as we transition six of our members out for new voices, perspectives and leadership.

“We are looking to recruit experienced athlete representatives who are passionate and knowledgeable about the Paralympic Movement, and who have time to commit to being a fully engaged and present member of the IPC Athletes’ Council.

“We have an important role to play. Building athlete leaders is at the core of everything the IPC Athletes’ Council does. When we look long-term, athletes who have strong leadership, communication and governance skills will be more inclined to become community leaders, business leaders, Governing Board members and hopefully future presidents of the IPC, NPCs, International Federations, and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled. At the end of the day, a key role of the IPC Athletes’ Council is about leaving a meaningful imprint on the Movement that will benefit anyone who follows.”

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “If the last year has taught us anything it is that our athletes are at the heart of everything that we do. Their voice must be central to the discussions and decisions that are made for the future of the Paralympic Movement.

“As an athlete-centred organisation, the IPC Athletes’ Council has provided invaluable feedback to many of our strategic priorities as well as the programmes and initiatives the IPC has implemented. They are also our direct connection into the athlete community, which has helped us make decisions that are in the best interest of our athletes and our Movement.

“Given the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic it is more important than ever to understand the concerns of our athlete community. We welcome the opportunity to have strong athlete leaders join the IPC Athletes’ Council and help us continue to set the standard of what it means to be athlete-centred.”

As only one athlete per NPC can be on the IPC Athletes’ Council at the same time, NPCs that currently have a winter representative elected on the IPC Athletes’ Council are not eligible to put forward a candidate.

A Associação Brasileira de Rugby em Cadeira de Rodas (ABRC) em continuidade ao ciclo paralímpico torna público a realização do processo seletivo para contratação de Técnico, Auxiliar Técnico e Preparador Físico da Seleção Brasileira de Rugby em Cadeira de Rodas. Desta forma, profissionais que desejam atuar, construir e crescer junto ao Rugby Brasileiro são bem vindos ao processo seletivo. As informações estão nos documentos anexos em nosso site. Assim, torna público o edital e suas especificidades.

Os currículos para as vagas constantes neste edital serão recebidos pela ABRC através dos e-mails: comissaotecnica@rugbiabrc.org.br e diretoria@rugbiabrc.org.br no período de 22/12/2020 a 22/01/2021.

After qualifying for the first time since Beijing 2008, New Zealand’s rugby wheelchair team are looking to mix with the top nations at Paralympic Games.

New Zealand is undoubtedly a proud rugby nation. They boast a total of eight World Cups, five Rugby 7’s World Cups and 17 Tri Nations and Rugby Championships between their men’s and women’s senior national teams.

But there is also another national team in the rugby sphere looking to make a name for themselves: The Wheel Blacks.

It’s been 13 years since New Zealand featured in the wheelchair rugby tournament at the Paralympics but their bronze medal win over Republic of Korea at the 2019 Asia-Oceania Championships ensured their return to the world’s greatest sporting stage. For co-captain Cody Everson qualifying for Tokyo 2020 was a special moment after narrowly missing out on Rio 2016 qualification.

“To have a chance to qualify, I was like, ‘right, we’re not going to screw this up’,” he recalled in an interview with Tokyo 2020, “Everyone was super switched on and we stuck to the game plan. We were super confident.

“Being co-captain as well was pretty cool knowing that we haven’t qualified since 2008. I think a few guys were a bit emotional because they wanted it for so long and they were at the end of the career and now they can finally say that they’re going to be a Paralympian.” It was even more encouraging considering the youthfulness of the team.

“There was also a bit of relief because we knew we were a good team, but we also know we were a young team,” Everson said before adding, “The main focus was going to be 2024 when we should be at the top of our game, everyone should have played together enough… so Tokyo was realistic for us but we knew as well that we’re building. “Who knows. We’re the dark horses.” Growing up in Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island, Everson had dreams of becoming an All Black one day.

“I think growing up for everyone, especially every boy who plays rugby, [it] was the kind of the dream. You’d watch the games, and you’d do the Haka in front of the TV. So definitely for me, it was like always wanting to be an All Black.”

But it was while playing his favourite game that he sustained a neck injury in a tackle which resulted in the then 15-year-old becoming tetraplegic, meaning all his limbs were affected by paralysis.

After spending two weeks in the ICU, he went into the spinal unit where he was told he wouldn’t walk again. While Everson admits there was a bit of denial upon hearing the news, he took it surprisingly well.

“I’d lost function in my fingers and I couldn’t push my chair. I couldn’t really feed myself. I wanted to do all this other stuff and I think that kind of really took away from that I really want to walk. It was more I really want to get back to doing more for myself.”

It was while at the Burwood Spinal Unit, that Everson met Sholto Taylor, a member of the Wheel Blacks, who had been mentoring young patients. Taylor, who was a ray of positivity, was also the one who introduced the Christchurch local to the sport of wheelchair rugby. While the teenager didn’t think he needed rugby, it was the documentary Murderball, that changed his mind. When playing rugby he was a back, the one scoring all the tries but heading into his first training session things were a bit different.

“I’m a 16-year-old boy and getting beaten by like 40-year-olds,” he laughed, “So it was it was a little bit disheartening, but it was also like I want to get better, I want to beat these guys. “When I started to notice that I was getting better and quicker, I realised, ‘hey, look, I could be really good at this’. And that’s when things started taking shape for me and I began to improve quite rapidly.” Everson wasn’t shy to admit the struggles he faced during 2020.

When word started circulating about a possible postponement of the Paralympics, Everson thought the Games might not even go ahead especially qualifying after so long and training for their return, it was disheartening to potentially have that taken away. Thankfully, it was a postponement and New Zealand, who are now COVID-free, came out of their lockdown relatively smoothly.

So with the Games not for another year, an opportunity popped up. Well, Everson had actually been approached prior to their Paralympic qualification about a surgery which could give him back the use of his hands. It was an enticing offer, something the wheelchair athlete wanted to try but he didn’t want to jeopardise his chance of making his Paralympic dreams come true, so he pushed back the idea until after Tokyo 2020.

“When it got postponed, I asked the physio and we got onto the surgeons so within a month [I got in] to get the surgery,” said Everson. “After the surgery I couldn’t do anything for myself. I got to leave the hospital the next day and I couldn’t even transfer out of bed on a sliding board. I couldn’t feed myself that night.”

A fortnight later, while things started to get back to normal and he waits to see if the surgery worked, mentally it has been tough. “It has been tough getting back into training because I’ve had [such a] long off, and I’ve missed a tournament and missed out on a lot of trainings,” Everson said.

“So that’s probably been the most challenging time for me now, knowing Paralympics is so far away and my mental sort of thing is probably the worst it’s ever been.” While the period away from training has allowed the 23-year-old to focus on other aspects of his life, being able to get back in the mindset to train hasn’t been easy.

“Now it’s come to a point where I need to get my mind back into training and it’s been really hard because you just don’t know. So, I’m really fighting with myself to get back out and do it and get back into training,” he told Tokyo 2020 during an interview in November 2020.

“I think once I built that momentum back up and get to camp in a few weeks time and see everyone, this sort of drive will kick in again. It brings excitement back as well. It’s good to see everyone and talking about next year and our plans for next year. That’s what I’m most looking forward to.”

Montreal, 6 January 2021 – Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) launched its Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform (ADEL), which is a new and improved version of the current Anti-Doping e-Learning platform (ADeL) that was launched in January 2018.
 
Via the new ADEL platform, WADA will provide education and learning opportunities for the anti-doping community worldwide; including: athletes, coaches, parents, medical professionals and more. Additionally, on ADEL, anti-doping practitioners will be able to find learning opportunities to help them carry out their roles; and, resources to support development of their anti-doping programs.
 
WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said: “WADA recognizes the power of education to its mission for doping-free sport. The launch of the new and improved ADEL is an important milestone. It demonstrates the Agency’s commitment to education and our intention to support the development of balanced anti-doping programs that include education as a core function by Anti-Doping Organizations. ADEL directly supports the objectives of the new International Standard for Education (ISE), which took effect on 1 January 2021 and is a very significant advancement in anti-doping education policy. We are very proud of these accomplishments. They are the result of a collaborative effort that we have led with stakeholders over the past few years.”
 
The ADEL platform will have a modernized look and feel; and, will feature a wider range of educational courses and resources for more target audiences as identified in the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and the ISE. ADEL will also provide new opportunities for the anti-doping community to access technical help on a range of topics.
 
WADA Education Director, Amanda Hudson, said: “Online education is one way to reach target audiences, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new ADEL will support the needs of the anti-doping community by providing education solutions for those responsible for the development of education programs, as well as learning opportunities and technical resources for Anti-Doping Organizations to benefit from. WADA aims for ADEL to become the ‘go to’ place for Anti-Doping Organizations to access resources to support the development of their anti-doping programs and the solutions they need to enable them to educate their communities.”
 
ADEL now includes new education programs for international- and national-level athletes; athletes who are part of a Registered Testing Pool; high performance coaches; and, parents of elite athletes, which complement the Tokyo 2020 Olympics course for athletes and coaches; ADEL for Medical Professionals (MPs); and ADEL for MPs at Major Games. The platform also includes previously published resources; such as, the Athlete and Athlete Support Personnel Guides to the Significant Changes in the 2021 Code; the Athlete and Athlete Support Personnel Guide to the 2021 List, as well as, all Code Implementation Support Program (CISP) resources, including the recently published Guidelines for Education, Therapeutic Use Exemptions and Results Management. WADA aims to publish all courses and resources in English and French, with Spanish to follow; and more courses and resources will be developed in 2021.
 
The new ADEL features

• The platform and the education content will be fully responsive to allow users to learn via a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
• Learning can happen on the go with the option to complete the courses offline via the ‘ADEL by WADA’ mobile app.
• Personalized learning plans per role and/or stage of development.
• Gamification concept, including digital badges and points to collect as users learn.
• Centralized ADEL Academy for all education offerings.
• Community learning by exchanging questions and answers with people working in anti-doping.
• Simple reporting dashboard and customized reports function for Anti-Doping Organization administrators.
• A dedicated ADEL Helpdesk page with articles to help users solve common issues as well as a dedicated place for Anti-Doping Organizations to request translations of resources.

To access the new ADEL:

• Existing users must activate their accounts upon receipt of an e-mail from: adel@wada-ama.org; and
• New users can simply register on the new platform at https://adel.wada-ama.org/

To join the new ADEL webinar to learn more about the new platform:

• Date: 21 January at 09:00 (EST).
• How to participate: Once you have registered on ADEL, you can register for the webinar via the platform.

For more information, please visit the:

• ADEL page of WADA’s website; and/or
• ADEL helpdesk

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Montréal, le 6 janvier 2021 – L’Agence mondiale antidopage (AMA) a lancé aujourd’hui sa plateforme d’éducation et apprentissage antidopage (ADEL), une nouvelle version améliorée de son actuelle plateforme d’apprentissage en ligne lancée en janvier 2018.
 
Sur cette nouvelle plateforme ADEL, l’AMA offrira des outils d’éducation et d’apprentissage à la communauté antidopage mondiale, notamment aux sportifs, aux entraîneurs, aux parents et aux professionnels de la santé. Les intervenants de la lutte contre le dopage pourront également trouver sur ADEL des options d’apprentissage qui les aideront à remplir leur rôle, ainsi que des ressources pour appuyer le développement de leurs programmes antidopage.
 
« L’AMA reconnaît le pouvoir de l’éducation dans sa mission en faveur du sport sans dopage, a déclaré le directeur général de l’AMA, Olivier Niggli. Le lancement de la nouvelle plateforme améliorée ADEL marque une étape importante, qui témoigne de l’engagement de l’Agence envers l’éducation et de notre intention de soutenir le développement par les organisations antidopage de programmes antidopage équilibrés dont l’éducation est un volet essentiel. ADEL soutient directement les objectifs du nouveau Standard international pour l’éducation (SIE), entré en vigueur le 1^er janvier 2021 et qui constitue une avancée très importante en matière de politiques d’éducation antidopage. Nous sommes très fiers de cette réalisation, qui est le résultat des efforts que nous avons menés en collaboration avec nos partenaires au cours des dernières années. »
 
La plateforme ADEL sera plus moderne et intuitive et comportera une plus large gamme de cours et de ressources à l’intention d’un plus grand nombre de publics cibles concernés par le Code mondial antidopage (le Code) et le SIE. ADEL fournira également à la communauté antidopage une aide technique sur un éventail de sujets.
 
« L’éducation en ligne est un moyen d’atteindre des publics cibles, particulièrement durant la pandémie de COVID-19, a déclaré Amanda Hudson, directrice du service Éducation de l’AMA. La nouvelle plateforme ADEL répondra aux besoins de la communauté antidopage en fournissant des solutions d’éducation aux responsables du développement de programmes d’éducation, ainsi que des occasions d’apprentissage et des ressources techniques que les organisations antidopage peuvent utiliser. L’AMA veut faire en sorte que les organisations antidopage aient accès à toutes les ressources dont elles ont besoin pour éduquer leurs communautés. »
 
ADEL comprend maintenant de nouveaux programmes d’éducation destinés aux sportifs de niveau international ou national, aux sportifs faisant partie d’un groupe cible de sportifs soumis à des contrôles, aux entraîneurs de haute performance et aux parents de sportifs d’élite. Ces programmes complètent les cours existants pour les sportifs et les entraîneurs qui participeront aux Jeux olympiques de Tokyo 2020, le cours ADEL pour les professionnels de la santé et le cours ADEL pour les professionnels de la santé lors de grandes manifestations. La plateforme regroupe aussi les ressources précédemment publiées telles que les guides pour les sportifs et leur personnel d’encadrement sur les changements importants dans le Code 2021, le guide destiné aux sportifs et à leur personnel d’encadrement sur la Liste 2021, de même que toutes les ressources du Programme de soutien aux signataires pour la mise en œuvre du Code (CISP), y compris les Lignes directrices pour l’éducation, les autorisations d’usage à des fins thérapeutiques et la gestion des résultats récemment publiées. L’AMA vise à publier tous les cours et toutes les ressources en anglais et en français. L’espagnol suivra. D’autres cours et ressources seront développés en 2021.
 
Caractéristiques de la nouvelle plateforme ADEL

• Plateforme et contenus d’éducation entièrement adaptés pour permettre aux utilisateurs d’apprendre au moyen d’un ordinateur de bureau ou portable, d’une tablette ou d’un téléphone mobile.
• Possibilité d’apprendre en tout temps, avec l’option de suivre des cours hors ligne grâce à l’application mobile ADEL de l’AMA.
• Plans d’apprentissage personnalisés en fonction du rôle ou du stade de développement dans le parcours du sportif.
• Concept de ludification, comprenant des badges numériques et des points à accumuler au fil de l’apprentissage.
• Académie ADEL centralisée pour toutes les offres d’éducation.
• Apprentissage en communauté, par l’échange de questions et de réponses avec des professionnels de la lutte contre le dopage.
• Tableau de bord simple pour la production de rapports, et fonction de rapports personnalisés pour les administrateurs d’organisations antidopage.
• Centre d’assistance dédié ADEL comprenant des rubriques pour aider les utilisateurs à résoudre des problèmes courants et sur lequel les organisations antidopage peuvent demander la traduction de ressources.

Pour accéder à la nouvelle plateforme ADEL :

• Les utilisateurs existants doivent activer leur compte à la réception du courriel qu’ils auront reçu de l’adresse adel@wada-ama.org.
• Les nouveaux utilisateurs peuvent simplement s’inscrire sur la nouvelle plateforme à l’adresse https://adel.wada-ama.org/.

Pour participer au webinaire sur la nouvelle plateforme ADEL et en apprendre davantage à ce sujet :

• Date : 21 janvier à 9h00 (HE).
• Comment participer : Une fois inscrit à ADEL, vous pourrez vous inscrire au webinaire à partir de la plateforme.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez visiter :

• la page ADEL sur le site Web de l’AMA; et/ou
• le centre d’assistance ADEL