USA co-captain Chuck Aoki has been playing wheelchair rugby for half of his life. Arguably one of the most well-known wheelchair rugby athletes in the world, Aoki discovered the sport like so many others – by watching the documentary Murderball. As a 16-year-old, he was immediately attracted to the physicality of the sport and begged his mother to let him play. According to Aoki, after months of asking, she finally relented and took him to his first practice in Minnesota.
Now a veteran on the USA roster, Aoki makes history as the first four-time US Paralympian in the sport of wheelchair rugby, previously competing and medalling at the London 2012 (bronze), Rio 2016 (silver) and Tokyo 2020 (silver) Games. In addition to his Paralympic appearances, Aoki’s 16 consecutive seasons with USA, the most of any athlete, have also earned him four world championship medals (2010 gold, 2014 bronze, 2018 bronze, 2022 silver) and three Parapan American medals (2015 silver, 2019 gold, 2023 gold).
Author: Editor Prime
One to Watch – Ryley Batt
Considered by many as the world’s best player, the powerful Australian has very few weaknesses. Speed, strength and incredible game awareness makes Ryley Batt almost impossible to stop. Paris 2024 will be his sixth Paralympics and he will look to lead his country to a third gold medal.
The Rio 2016 gold medal match against the USA will go down as one of the greatest in Games history, with Batt making some unbelievable plays as Australia won a double-overtime thriller, 59-58. However, Australia placed fourth at the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020, losing out in the bronze medal match to Japan, 60-52. Batt will be determined to return to the podium at Paris 2024.
We Want To Hear From You! World Wheelchair Rugby Gender Equity Survey
Wheelchair rugby, a dynamic and high-impact Paralympic sport, has long been beloved for its intensity, skill, and teamwork. However, women, girls and non-binary individuals have historically been underrepresented in this electrifying game. World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) has formed a task force with the goal of increasing women, girls and non-binary individuals’ participation in wheelchair rugby on a global scale.
The goal of this survey is to gain input from the wheelchair rugby community about recruitment and retention, lived experiences of wheelchair rugby, barriers to participation, potential solutions, as well as your thoughts on a vision for the future.
We welcome the voices and perspectives of anyone over the age of 18 engaged with wheelchair rugby. We do ask that you identify the stakeholder group you belong to and provide some demographic information, but otherwise your replies will be anonymous. The survey should take about 15 minutes.
To access the survey in English or French, click one of the links:
EN: https://bit.ly/world-wheelchair-rugby-gender-equity-survey
FR: https://bit.ly/world-wheelchair-rugby-enquête-équité-entre-les-sexes
Please complete the survey by August 23, 2024. Thank you in advance for your time and effort in completing this survey.
If you have any questions about the accessibility of this survey, you can contact:aspender@thegreater.ca
World Wheelchair Rugby Announce 33 Strong Management & Officiating Team for Paris 2024
WWR is pleased to announce and recognise the 33 strong team heading out to the Paris Paralympics to oversee and officiate the wheelchair rugby tournament.
John Timms (GBR) is the WWR International Federation Delegate “This is a great team of people who have been committed and hard working over a number of years. They have come through a selection process to obtain their opportunity to officiate and deliver a World Class Tournament, working alongside the amazing teams and athletes.”
The WWR Management and Officiating Team for Paris 2024 Paralympics:
Senior Management Team
| John Timms | IF Delegate | GBR |
| Tim Johnson | Deputy IF Delegate | NZL |
| Melanie Beziat | Head Table Official | FRA |
| Izabela Sauerbier | Supervisor Classifier | POL |
| Alison Bridge | WWR Liaison | GBR |
| Darren Roberts | Head Official | USA |
International Technical Officials
| Jonathan Corson | Assistant Head Official | NZL |
| Katja Grotensohn | Evaluator | GER |
| Christian van de Riet | Evaluator | SUI |
| Brian Ward | Game Commissioner | GBR |
| Nicole Hoim | Game Commissioner | GER |
| Kevin Bowie | Referee | CAN |
| Joseph Bongiovanni | Referee | USA |
| Kristin Hempfling | Referee | GER |
| Liam Costello | Referee | AUS |
| Joshua Kearns | Referee | USA |
| Paulina Szmit | Referee | POL |
| Pierre-Alexandre Briere | Referee | CAN |
| Lukasz Szymczak | Referee | POL |
National Technical Officials
| Nadine Bieneck | GER |
| Thomas Candela | FRA |
| Christine Ducret | FRA |
| Stana Felicite | FRA |
| Camille Kerneguez | FRA |
| Manon Lombard | FRA |
| Victor Meynier | FRA |
| Karolina Motejkova | BEL |
| Jana Slavickova | CZE |
| Sara Viguier | FRA |
| Aurelie Weislo | FRA |
| Heather Williams | GBR |
Media Team
| Joe Elliott | WWR Media | GBR |
| Megumi Masuda | WWR Photographer | JPN |
Paris 2024 Competition Schedule
The Paris 2024 Competition Schedule is now available to view!
Paris 2024 Paralympics Wheelchair Rugby Draw
We are excited to announce the pools for the Paris 2024 Paralympics Wheelchair Rugby Competition!
Watch the premiere now on the WWR YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Nfd79W2or90
Richard Allcroft Receives Kings Honour
World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) would like to recognise and congratulate its President, Richard Allcroft who has received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours List for “services to Wheelchair Rugby”.
Following a six year tenure on the WWR Board he ran a successful campaign and was elected as President in 2018. Richard’s vision was based on WWR being recognised and respected as a leading International Federation within the Paralympic Movement.
In addition, he has been involved in wheelchair sports and the Paralympic Movement for 30 years mainly with Wheelchair Rugby. Working with his local wheelchair sports club, National Governing Body and other roles such as International Federation Delegate for the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Richard has lead WWR successfully through the Covid Pandemic and subsequently a number major developments including the rebranding of the International Federation as World Wheelchair Rugby and continues working with partners World Rugby developing links and a number of projects including the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup staged at the Rugby World Cup.
Richard is also actively involved at the Sheffield Spinal Injuries Centre (SIC) in the UK. This is with the knowledge and support of the consultants and all involved with the multi-disciplinary team. The role centres around peer support, advice and educating patients in assistive technology in partnership with a large National charity called Aspire.
WWR Host Workshops in Sheffield, England
Front: Rob Tarr, Richard Allcroft, Tim Johnson
Back: Joe Elliott, Kathy Newman, Stan Battock, Jacques Erasmus, Greg Ungerer, Alison Bridge, John Timms
Thank you to the WWR Heads of Working Group and Staff for attending a series of workshops in Sheffield this week for 3 days.
Richard Allcroft, President, said: “It was a great few days listening to the discussions that will help shape the future of the sport. Whilst we know we have many challenges and some amazing opportunities, this group of people do an amazing job contributing to our success at World Wheelchair Rugby.”
The Hague confirmed as host city for the 2025 Wheelchair Rugby European Championships
Photography: @2024 Masanori Udagawa / photowellington.com
World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) proudly announces that The Hague has been selected as the host city for the upcoming European Championships in 2025. The championships will take place from April 21 to 27 at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark. This state-of-the-art campus, complete with its own stadium, is one of the premier sports centers in South Holland.
WWR Head of Competitions Tim Johnson said: “WWR is honoured to bring the Wheelchair Rugby European Championship back to the Netherlands. We would like to thank the national federation, the city of The Hague, and the LOC Team TOC for their support and dedication in making this possible. It promises to be a fantastic event showcasing top-tier parasport.”
Participation of the Netherlands
During the tournament, teams from 8 different countries will compete for the European title. As the host country, the Netherlands has guaranteed participation, while the other participating countries will be announced at a later date. In 2023, the following countries were qualified for this prestigious final tournament: Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Israel, and Czech Republic.
Quote from Gehandicaptensport Nederland (national federation), director Dos Engelaar: “As the National Federation, we are incredibly excited to host the European Wheelchair Rugby Championship in the Netherlands again after nearly 30 years. Wheelchair rugby is a sport full of passion and adrenaline, a beautiful sport to watch. With the arrival of this tournament, we offer the Netherlands the unique opportunity to experience this sport at an international level.”
The European Championship occurs biennially and the 2025 event will provide direct qualification for the top teams to the 2026 WWR World Championships, and serves as a crucial initial gauge for the path to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The previous European Championships took place in May 2023 in Cardiff, Wales.
Sportcampus Zuiderpark
The Hague boasts the Sportcampus Zuiderpark, a multifunctional sports complex that serves as an epicenter for various institutions actively engaged in groundbreaking research focused on innovation in elite sports, exercise physiology, and community involvement. This makes it a prime location for the Wheelchair Rugby European Championship.
Hilbert Bredemeijer, Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth, Sports, and Services of The Hague, expresses: “I am incredibly proud that the European Wheelchair Rugby Championship is coming to The Hague next year. It’s fantastic to witness international top athletes competing for the European title at this spectacular tournament. It will be a celebration for sports enthusiasts in The Hague at the Sportcampus.”
The local organizing committee for this elite sports event is Team TOC, a prominent sports events agency. Known for their successful organization of the European Para Championships in August 2023 in Rotterdam, the company brings a wealth of experience in parasports. CEO Eric Kersten eagerly anticipates the event: “We are thrilled to take on the organization of this wheelchair rugby tournament. We have long awaited the opportunity to organize an event in this sport, and now it is a dream come true in the beautiful surroundings of The Hague.”
Paul McCartney’s We All Stand Together the inspiration for IPC advert that challenges the perception versus reality of the Paralympics
To mark 100 days to go until the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched a promotional film that addresses the romantic stereotypes of what some people think the Paralympics represent versus the brutal reality of high-performance sport.
Paul McCartney’s 1984 seminal song We All Stand Together is the soundtrack for the film titled ‘The Paralympic Dream’ which, like the original music video, features stunning animated scenes.
The advert was developed by the IPC’s advertising agency adam&eveddb. The creative is initially set in a dream-like animated city of Paris where Para athletes run, jump, fence, and paddle, hand-in-hand alongside loveable singing plants and animals.
However, the animated love-in and song is abruptly interrupted with the harsh realism of Paralympic sport as British Paralympic taekwondo athlete Amy Truesdale is kicked in the chest and crashes to the mat.
As Amy climbs back to her feet and lands a blow on her opponent, the advert cuts to a stunning montage of outstanding sporting action from previous Paralympic Games.
The film is being made available to the IPC’s media rights holders and members organisations to support their promotion of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Craig Spence, the IPC’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer, said: “With our Paris 2024 Paralympic promotional film we wanted to challenge the perceptions and stereotypes some people have of the Paralympic Games in the most fun and creative way possible.
“For some, the Paralympics is an idyllic event where the athletes are carefree and just happy to be there. The truth is that Paralympic sport is highly competitive and, at times, pretty brutal. To compete at the Paralympics, you have to be a world-class high-performance athlete and we show this in the film through fast-paced sporting action.
“We created this film because we are aiming for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to attract record TV audiences and massive crowds of spectators. This film will be used by Media Rights Holders and IPC member organisations to engage new audiences in what will be spectacular and historical Paralympic Games this summer.”
adam&eveDDB chose the Paul McCartney track for the advert because it has a loveable childlike quality that perfectly matches the idealistic world they were trying to create and then jolt them out of it in the most memorable way possible.
The advert, which also has a 30 and 15 second cut-down in English, has been made available in nine languages, and has audio-described and subtitled version.
The full video can be found on the WWR Social Media Channels.