Editor Prime – Page 8

WWR General Assembly Suspend Russian National Member Organisation

Posted on 20 December 20222 May 2023 by Editor Prime

At its General Assembly (November 26, 2022 ), the World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) members voted in favour to suspend the Russian Federation as a member in good standing. A motion was presented by the Polish Wheelchair Rugby Federation and approved by the membership. Before the voting took place, all members, including Russia, had the opportunity to provide their position on the matter to the General Assembly. For a motion to be passed, 50%+1 votes are required.

Earlier this year, the WWR Board of Directors issued a statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, the WWR Board decided that Russian national wheelchair rugby teams and officials would not be permitted to participate in WWR licensed competitions, nor would it permit WWR events to be hosted in Russia or Belarus.

Related article – WWR Board statement (March 2022) – https://worldwheelchair.rugby/2022/03/04/wwr-board-statement-following-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/

Official 2023 WWR European Championship Competition Draw

Posted on 12 December 20222 May 2023 by Editor Prime

The official competition draw for the 2023 WWR European Championship will be held at the iconic location of Cardiff Castle at 5.30pm, Monday 12 December, before tickets go on sale on Tuesday 13 December. Held on Welsh soil for the first time, the Principality Stadium – home of Welsh rugby – will play host to the championship from 3-7 May 2023. The Championship is supported with UK Sport investment from The National Lottery and by various partners including WWR, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby, Welsh Rugby Union and the Welsh Government. As one of Wales’s leading heritage attractions, Cardiff Castle will provide a spectacular backdrop for the draw that determines which teams will go head-to-head in the opening pool stages of the tournament.

Performing the official draw for the event in the Cardiff Castle will be Richard Allcroft, World Wheelchair Rugby President and a special guest. Also in attendance will be Great Britain’s Stuart Robinson MBE and Great Britain Head Coach Paul Shaw MBE, as well as Justin Frishberg, representing the French team as current defending European champions and Jane Hutt, Welsh Minister for Social Justice. Players from local wheelchair rugby clubs will also act as flagbearers for each of the eight countries competing at the event; Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, Israel and Czech Republic.

The format of the draw will consist of the eight competing nations being drawn into two pools. Nations will be paired based on their world rankings, with the lowest ranked pair being drawn first into separate pools. This continues until the final pair, when host nation Great Britain, represented by GB Head Coach Paul Shaw, selects the pool they wish to join.

Following the draw, on Tuesday 13 December tickets for the event will go on sale, with email subscribers enjoying an early bird offer of 10% off ticket prices.

Speaking ahead of the draw, Event Director Chris Walker commented: “We’re delighted that Cardiff Castle is the venue to host the official competition draw for our event. As an instantly recognisable Welsh location with over 2000 years of history, it is fitting that we start our European Championship story here before heading to the Principality Stadium next May, an equally iconic location that we feel privileged to bring wheelchair rugby to.

“We really hope that this is just the start – that rugby-loving Welsh fans will really get behind this spectacular sport for what is set to be an incredible event held for the first time in Wales.”

Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice, added: “It is fantastic that the 2023 WWR European Championship will be held in Wales and the official draw brings us one step closer to the showpiece event.

“We have given our full backing to this tournament and wish it the best of success. Fans will be in for a treat when the action starts and we hope it encourages many to take up the sport.”

Richard Allcroft said: “I’m looking forward to wheelchair rugby coming to Wales in May 2023. Wales has a strong history with rugby and I’m confident that we will be welcomed to Cardiff by the Welsh people.

“If you haven’t seen Paralympic wheelchair rugby being played before, you are in for a treat. It’s a competitive and full contact sport and the best athletes in Europe will treat you to a great show; what a great opportunity to see the sport showcased in the national stadium of Wales.”

The competition draw will be live streamed via the Channel 4 YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQkwXtAdFsA.

Further information on tickets, which go on sale Tuesday 13 December, can be found here: https://wreuro23.com/tickets/.

Find out more about the 2023 Wheelchair Rugby European Championship here: https://wreuro23.com/.

WWR Sports Science and Sports Medicine Conference-The Science of Wheelchair Rugby

Posted on 11 December 20222 May 2023 by Editor Prime

Wednesday 7^th December saw the second World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) Sports Science and Sports Medicine Conference in partnership with the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. The sessions brought together practitioners, coaches, medical staff and students interested in sports science, medicine, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning and coaching. The sessions organised with The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport who aim to improve knowledge about Paralympic sport and to promote the substantial health and quality of life benefits that can be gained through participation in disability sport and physical activity.

Photo – Loughborough University – Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sports

The Session was introduced by WWR President, Richard Allcroft who said “I was really pleased to see the second edition of the WWR Medical Symposium taking place and a huge thank you to Vicky Tolfrey and the Peter Harrison Centre for making this happen. There was a real focus on athlete welfare and performance, and I’d certainly encourage people to look back at sessions that are relevant to them”

The session also saw a presentation from WWR’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ken Lee who presented at the conference on Concussion Management in Wheelchair Athletes. Speaking about the event Ken Lee said “As the world recovers from the COVID pandemic, connecting and sharing of minds around the world with simple goal of improving welfare of our wheelchair rugby participants is a must.” And gave thanks to the organisers of the conference “Thank you Vicky Tolfrey and her group in making this a reality with the WWR Medical Symposium for the 2^nd time. Your work and everyone participating in the symposium is key to healthy sport”

For those that attended the live sessions, certificates were made available to contribute to ongoing studies.

Look out for future events through the WWR social media channels.

The recordings are now available to watch here:

Recording 1: Session 1 Presentations- https://lboro.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=74a0f9fb-d938-4a4a-9305-af6c009f7337

Recording 2: Session 1 Q&A- https://lboro.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=24c8f544-137c-45b5-a74b-af6c00990012

Recording 3: Session 2 part 1-https://lboro.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f50a9c45-d26a-4dbd-8702-af6c009bba80

Recording 4: Session 2 Part 2- https://lboro.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=402f9ff1-098a-4189-8ef4-af6c009a32b6

Or visit the event page: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/phc/science-of-wheelchair-rugby-2022/

Wheelchair Rugby Canada’s CEO Catherine Cadieux Inducted into WWR Hall of Fame

Posted on 11 November 2022 by Editor Prime

Veijle, Denmark – Wheelchair Rugby Canada (WRC) and World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) congratulates the long-serving CEO Cathy Cadieux on her induction into the WWR Hall of Fame. Inducted as a builder, Cathy served WWR (formerly IWRF) for 19 years on their Board of Directors.

“I am proud to have been part of a volunteer Board of Directors that has led WWR to become one of the most respected organizations in the Parasport and IPC communities,” said Cathy.

WWR President, Richard Allcroft said “it was a real pleasure to welcome Cathy onto the stage in Denmark and induct her formally into the Hall of Fame. It was a sign of Cathy’s character, that she noted her involvement in building the sport was for the people present in the room, the teams, athletes, volunteers, healthcare professionals, officials and all. It is their sport.

Cathy was right there at the start when WWR became an independent International Federation in 2010. Her leadership was instrumental in establishing the organisation, particularly in developing the appropriate financial systems which she setup and provided oversight of throughout her tenure. I wish Cathy all the best with her next endeavour.“

Cathy was officially inducted at 2022 World Championships this October. She joins current inductees: Duncan Campbell, Pawel Zbieranowski and players Garett Hickling Naz Erdem and Cliff Chunn that hold the honour.

“I have to say that whatever I have contributed to WWR over the past nineteen years has been returned to me one hundred-fold.”

ABOUT WWR HALL OF FAME

The WWR Hall of Fame was established to recognize people who have been influential to wheelchair rugby, both on and off the court. This is the ultimate honour that WWR can bestow; criteria for induction into this elite group must be such that only those people who have significantly influenced the game or have been inspirational will be considered.

2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships: Quarterfinals

Posted on 15 October 2022 by Editor Prime

HOSTS MAKE HISTORY AS THE QUARTERFINALS LIVE UP TO THE HYPE

Japan 58 New Zealand 38

The day’s first match was also its most lopsided as the defending champions from Japan, powered by the Wheel Blacks. Every Japanese player saw the court as Coach Kevin Orr juggled line-ups in a clinical performance.

Japanese captain Yukinobu Ike is now looking ahead to the semifinals and stressed the need for his team to keep their focus.

“ I think the next match will be the most important one for us. We’ve all of our matches so far, but we need to be really focused for our next game”

Japan will face the United States in tomorrow’s semifinal in a rematch from the 2018 World Championship.

United States 53 Canada 51

The latest chapter in the USA-Canada rivalry saw the Americans claw their way back and come out on top.

Canada started strong with great pressure and led by three after the first quarter, but the United States would methodically work their way back into the game. The Eagles strong key defence was a major reason why as they dropped back often to shrink the court and help prevent Canadian star Zak Madell from scoring too often in the open court.

American 1.5 Josh O’Neil was named Player of The Match as he consistently ways to get open deep to score tries off of passes from Chuck Aoki and Josh Wheeler. Fellow low-pointer Lee Fredette was an x-factor on defense and earned praise from his team captain.

“Lee Fredette,” said Aoki when asked about the key to their key.

“He’s one of the best if not the best class 1.0 in the world, his key defense is nasty, he guards 3.5s like it’s no problem, so I really give all the credit in the world to him.

Denmark 55 France 53

It took an extra three minutes, but the hosts Denmark pulled off the quarterfinal upset and will play for a medal at home after defeating previously undefeated France.

It was a passionate and tense match from beginning to end as the two European rivals traded tries and leads throughout the match.

Sebastian Frederiken continued his incredible run of form in Vejle, as he’s taken his game to new heights at this year’s championship. He was overcome with joy post-match after leading Denmark to their first-ever semifinal appearance at Worlds.

“Amazing, it’s mind blowing. It’s a dream come true. I looked forward to this for so many years, not just me, but the entire team.You fight for this since, I don’t know how long. But it feels unreal right now just like it’s a dream.”

Frederiksen praised the incredible support from the crowd for the extra energy they gave Danes in the pivotal overtime period to push over the line and into the finals against a talented French team.

“Family, friends, lots of Danish people, so it was a blessing to just play today. It pushed me a lot. Again, I can have a party with them, it tries to have a party with me, I try to take it.”

The Danes move on to face Australia on Saturday.

Australia 54 Great Britain 45

Australia continued their quest for a 2nd World title dispatching Great Britain in the final quarterfinal of the day. The Steelers got out to an early lead and never relinquished it in an efficient outing.

Australia rotated their lines throughout the match, maintaining a consistent intensity through all four quarters.

They move on to face Denmark for a 2nd time after their 61-49 victory earlier this week.

Other Action
Germany defeated Brazil 53-49 and will face Colombia for 9th place after the Colombians beat Switzerland 49-44.

2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship – Day 1 Preview

Posted on 9 October 20222 May 2023 by Editor Prime

By Nathan Bragg for World Wheelchair Rugby

The 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship tips-off on Monday in Vejle with two exciting matches to start the tournament.

Host Denmark will open the competition against debutants Brazil in a battle between the bronze medalists of the European and American Zones in a Pool B clash.

Following the opening match, Paralympic champions Great Britain face Switzerland, who return to the world championship for the first time since finishing 11th sixteen years ago in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Match #1: Denmark vs. Brazil

An intriguing match to start the tournament between two unfamiliar foes. The 7th-ranked Danes and 9th-ranked Brazilians have only met once at the 2016 Metro Cup in Poland, where the Danes emerged victorious.

Seeded 4th and 5th in their pool, this could be a tight one as both sides look to get off to a winning start.

The Great Danes will want to put on a show for the home fans and hopefully inspire more spectators to get behind them as the week goes on.

Denmark’s hi-lo line-ups are always dangerous for the opposition. The combination of 3.5 Sebastian Frederiksen and 3.0 Leon Jorgenson could cause trouble for Brazil’s defense and in 3.5 Mark Peters, the hosts have one of the world’s biggest hitters.

Keep an eye on 2.5 Daniel Gonçalves for Brazil. He’s a big and powerful mid-point player who was a difference-maker for the team at the Americas Championship.

Young and speedy 3.5 Gabriel Feitosa de Lima is a great candidate to break out in Vejle. After spending the past few years coming off the bench and providing a great boost of energy to Brazil, he could take on a more featured role this year.

Will the home crowd get behind Denmark and cheer them to victory, or will the debutants from South America win on Day 1? You’ll have to watch to find out!

Match #2 Great Britain vs. Switzerland

The day’s second match is a European clash between 2nd-ranked Great Britain and 13th-ranked Switzerland. These two teams have faced each other at many European and World Championships, with Great Britain winning all their meetings so far.

Monday’s match should see a contrast in tempos. With their phenomenal team speed, Great Britain is comfortable playing at a fast pace and poring on a high defensive press. In 3.5 Aaron Phipps, they have one of the quickest players in the world, who isn’t afraid to try for turnovers with both his chairs and his active hands.

On the other side, don’t be surprised if Switzerland uses patient passing and their strong key defense to slow the game’s speed down. They also have a core of experienced players who are well-versed in their system and calm under pressure. 2.0 David Mzee is one of the best in the business at finding ways to get open late in the 12-second count, and in 1.0 Adrian Moser, they have a low-pointer with elite ball protection and offloading skills.

Keep an eye on the match-up between the 2.5s Jeremy Jenal and Jamie Stead. Switzerland’s Jeremy Jenal may fly under the radar of some casual fans, but he’s got pace to spare and does a great job facilitating the Swiss attack. He could turn a lot of heads at his first World Championship.

For Great Britain, Jamie Stead often lives up to his last name as he’s an incredibly “steady” player. He provides consistent offense and is an efficient playmaker who defenses need to respect with and without the ball. GB has many players who can take over a game; Stead might be the one to do so tomorrow.

Will the Paralympic champions open their campaign with a win or will the Swiss pull off an upset for the ages? We’ll find out tomorrow night.

Don’t Miss A Moment

Monday’s matches are the first two of 46 games, that conclude with Sunday’s finals. You can watch every match on worldwheelechair.rugby. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notifications when we’re live, and follow WWR and the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships on social media to stay up-to-date with the tournament.

Watch the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships

Posted on 9 October 20222 May 2023 by Editor Prime

Tune in to the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby Championships. The world’s twelve best teams compete to be World Champions from October 10-16 in Vejle, Denmark!

Tune into all of the action throughout the tournament here

Court 1

Court 2

Low-Point Lowdown – What To Watch for in Vejle

Posted on 7 October 2022 by Editor Prime

By Nathan Bragg for World Wheelchair Rugby

They won’t be topping the try charts, and if you’re new to watching Wheelchair Rugby or parasport, you may have questions about their roles, but low-pointers are crucial to their team’s success in Wheelchair Rugby.

Here’s a breakdown on low-pointers and a brief look at a few top ones to watch out for when the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships tip-off in Denmark on Monday.

What Are “Low-Pointers”

The term “Low-pointer” refers to athletes classified between 0.5-1.5 in the sport’s 0.5-3.5 classification system. Wheelchair Rugby uses a classification system to ensure that athletes with different types of disabilities can compete together.

To be eligible to play wheelchair rugby, athletes must have impairment in at least three limbs. However, even with this restriction, a wide range of function exists among athletes.

Athletes are evaluated by a team of classifiers and assigned a number based on their functional ability. The number ranges from 0.5 (for athletes with the least function) to 3.5 (for athletes with the most function) and increases in 0.5 increments. The four athletes on the court must total no more than 8.0 points (with an additional 0.5 allowed for each female athlete on the court).

As athletes on the lower end of the scale, low-pointers usually have less strength and speed than mid and high-point players and often (though not always) play in defensive chairs with a pick bar on the end of them, to hook on to and hold opposing players. Low-pointers also tend to have more significantly limited hands and triceps, which makes passing and catching more difficult and their highlight reel catches all the more impressive.

The role of low-pointers

Low-pointers aren’t often prolific try scorers, but they do much of the dirty work necessary to win a rugby match. They set picks and screens, leak out to provide a passing outlet, are often relied upon as inbounders, and can make game-changing plays when they manage to slow down opposing high-pointers.

Different teams will employ their low-pointers in varying ways, but they’ve been even more important with the popularity of hi-lo (2 high-pointer and 2 low-pointer) line-ups in the past decade. When two teams have equally matched high-pointers, an elite low-point player can swing a match.

Some call low-pointers defensive players, but the reality is that all wheelchair rugby play in both attack and defense. Much of the sport is played in transition, the phase of the game where teams are switching between attack and defense after a try is scored, and that’s an area where low-pointers are vital.

Ones to Watch

Here are five talented and established low-point players to watch out for in Vejle. While these five are among the big names in the sport, it’s a great era for low-point play right now with many incredibly skilled players set to compete across the 12 teams at Worlds, and it’ll be exciting to see which players seize the spotlight this year.

Kylie Grimes (0.5F)
The Paralympic gold medalist enters the World Championship in great form on the back of impressive performances in the lead-up to Worlds at the Lakeshore Tri Nations, Canada Cup, and, King Power Quad Nations.

GB’s had great success lately with their 3.5 2.5 2.0 0.5F line where Grimes has done a phenomenal job creating lanes and windows for her teammates, sealing corners, and coming up with defensive stops on ball handlers.

Great Britain may have the strongest collection of 0.5s in the tournament, with legend Jonathan Coggan, Grimes, and rapidly emerging talent Jack Smith, all fantastic options for Coach Paul Shaw at a key classification.

Trevor Hirschfield (1.0) – Canada
A two-time World Championship All-Star and winner of numerous Best in Class awards, Trevor Hirschfield has been one of the world’s top wheelchair rugby players for over a decade. He’s an all-around player with a habit of coming up with decisive plays in the big moments, be they tries, catches, or steals.

A great reader of the game, he’s one of the best at finding and filling lanes on the court. Opposing ball handlers need to know where he is at all times, as he’s got a real talent for using his long arms and quick hands to cause deflections and get steals.

As co-captain of Team Canada, his leadership and on-court play will be crucial to their hopes of getting back on the podium.

Carlos Montoya (1.0) – Colombia
Montoya may be the best passing 1.0 in the world. He’s got incredible passing range and plays a huge role in everything that Colombia does on both sides of the court.

A fast and physical player who was named best 1.0 at the last World Championships in Sydney. The mobile Colombian is definitely a player to keep an eye on the lower-ranked teams in the field.

Seiya Norimatsu 1.5 (Japan)
Seiya Norimatsu is a smart and versatile defender who often covers opposing mid and pointers.
His game has grown in leaps and bounds since his debut at the 2014 World Championship, and he played a huge role in Japan’s back-to-back Paralympic bronze medals and 1st World Championship title in 2018.

A dependable inbounder who defenders also can’t afford to leave open deep. Norimatsu could be a real x-factor as Japan pursues its title defense in Vejle.

If you’re looking for an example of fantastic low-point play after reading this, go and watch Norimatsu’s performance in the semifinals of the 2018 World Championship, available on WWR’s Facebook page.

Cédric Nankin (1.5) – France
Nankin is one of the world’s top defensive players, regardless of classification. The Frenchman’s combination of speed and agility makes him an absolute pain for opposing high-pointers. With his strong pick and quick first few pushes, he regularly matches up with higher-classified players and often forces opposing speedsters to adjust how they transition from defense to offense.

Put simply, Nankin is a joy to watch on the defensive end, and he’s improved his ability to protect and offload the ball on offense. He’s an intelligent player who maximizes his strengths and finds creative ways to minimize his weaknesses.

After helping France to a European title in February, Nankin could be a difference maker again as Les Bleus push forward in Denmark.

Connect with the Championship

Once the competition starts and the tries start going up on the scoreboard, take some time to appreciate the dirty work that goes into each score; chances are that a low-pointer helped make it happen.

Which low-pointers are you excited to see ply their trade in Vejle? What’s an element of low-point play that you wish got more attention? Let us know and follow the tournament throughout next week in Vejle.

Learn More
To learn more about the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships, please visit 2022wrwc.com
To learn more about Wheelchair Rugby and World Wheelchair Rugby, please visit
world.wheelchairrugby

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Chris Bond is ready to lead Australia in Vejle!

Posted on 7 October 20227 October 2022 by Editor Prime

By Nathan Bragg for World Wheelchair Rugby

The Australian Steelers will have a new captain at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship as two-time Paralympic gold medalist Chris Bond will lead Australia at his third World Championship.

Getting into the game

Chris Bond grew up playing various contact sports, including rugby league. After becoming a quadruple amputee due to a rare form of cancer and a bacterial infection at 19, he took up swimming as a competitive and rehabilitative outlet. However, a chance meeting with Brad Dubberley brought Wheelchair Rugby into his life, leading to many incredible accomplishments.

“I was training in the gym (for swimming), and Brad Dubberly rolled in and saw me and said you look like you’d be eligible for rugby; I was like, rugby – what’s that? Let’s do it! If I can hit someone and get back into a team environment, I’ll sign up.”

The sport grabbed Bond’s interest from his first time in a rugby chair.

“They invited me to one of their national team training camps in 2010, from the first time, just watching the training session and getting in a chair to give it a go – I realized this is a sport for me.”

Finding Success

A quick study, Bond made the Australian team for the first time in 2011 and made his Paralympic debut in 2012. At the London games, he helped Australia win their first gold medal, and his partnership with fellow star 3.5 Ryley Batt emerged as a near-unstoppable force on the world stage.

The Steelers would win their first World title in 2014 and then defend their Paralympic gold in 2016, winning 59-58 over the United States in what many consider the best game of wheelchair rugby ever played.

Bond lists the 2016 campaign as his most outstanding athletic achievement so far.

“There are many, but the biggest one is winning that gold in Rio. We eclipsed our triple threat going Paralympics, World Championships, Paralympics . It was also the first time we played all of the other Top 5 teams to get there.” (Canada, Great Britain, Japan, and the United States). To play in what’s considered one of the best games of all-time and then win that double overtime was pretty special.”
Chris Bond

A new role

Bond is taking on a new role this year within the team. After 11 years and over 200 caps, Bond will lead Australia as Team Captain in Vejle.

“The captaincy of Australia is a massive achievement and honor for my family and me. We’ve had some great leaders in Australia so there’s some big shoes to fill. We want to get back into that ruthless, hungry mindset, and the team thought I’d be a good person to drive that.”
Chris Bond

Bond also adds that Australians enter the tournament in a slightly unfamiliar position. They missed the podium at the last Paralympics – and might be underdogs in Vejle.

“Like every major event, we’re coming in to win it. It’s going to be different; some would say we’re coming in as underdogs, given that we haven’t won an event since Asia/Oceanias in 2019. It’s been a while since we’ve succeeded at the highest level. We’ve got excuses for that. But we’re done with excuses now.”
Chris Bond

This year’s team features a mix of veterans and exciting new faces. Bond, Batt, and Andrew Edmonson are all established stars on the world stage, while new athletes like Emilee Miller and Paralympic wheelchair basketball convert Ella Sabljak could have exciting debuts.

“Our aim is to win and I think we’ve got the squad to do that. We’ve still got that core of players who have been there and played in big games and then we’ve got newer athletes giving us that lifeblood and energy as well.”

Bond has grown a lot since his career with the Steelers started. He’s become a husband, father, and business leader off the court and evolved into a star and leader on it. Though he’s gone from young gun to wise veteran, he’s still just as hungry for gold as he was in 2012. His leadership will be vital as Australia pursue victory in Vejle.

Tipping off

Find out if Chris Bond can lead Australia to their second World title next week in Denmark. The 4th-ranked Steelers are in Pool B alongside Japan, Canada, Denmark, Brazil, and Colombia. They open their campaign with the first-ever match against championship debutants Brazil.

Australia’s Schedule

All Times in CEST

Day 2 – October 11
09:00 vs Brazil
15:45 vs Canada

Day 3 – October 12
18:00 vs Denmark

Day 4 – October 13
09:00 vs Colombia
15:45 vs Japan

Day 5-7 October 14-16
Crossovers (TBD)

Five Storylines To Follow At The World Championship

Posted on 5 October 20226 October 2022 by Editor Prime

By Nathan Bragg for World Wheelchair Rugby

With a week to go to the 2022 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships in Vejle, wheelchair rugby writer Nathan Bragg takes a quick look at five storylines to follow before the action starts.

The debut of the quarterfinals

This year’s tournament will feature quarterfinals for the first time in an exciting new change to the World Championship format. The first round still features two pools of six teams, but now the top four teams from each pool will move onto the quarterfinals instead of the top two progressing directly to a semifinal.

The quarterfinals are scheduled to run on Day 5 of the competition (Friday, October 14). After that, the winners will move onto the medal round, while the losers will compete for 5^th-8^th place.

The tournament doesn’t end for 5th and 6th place teams in each pool though as they will compete for 9th-12th positions and vital world ranking points on Friday and Saturday.

The quarterfinals will be a welcome change for fans on the heels of a Paralympic Games that saw more than half of the matches decided by five tries or less.

The addition of quarterfinals allows teams to bounce back from a rough Day 1 or 2 and still make it onto the podium in a nearly impossible way under the old format.

It’ll be exciting to see what additional drama this extra round adds to the competition.

Record-setting women

Wheelchair rugby is a mixed sport; women are active in the sport at every level as athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and administrators in countries around the world. This year’s tournament will feature 13 women representing their countries on the court, compared to the previous record of 5 set in 2018.

8 of the 12 teams have a woman on their roster this year, with a record 3 (Shae Graham, Ella Sabljak, and Emilee Miller) set to take the court for Australia.

From established stars like Great Britain’s Kylie Grimes and Germany’s Britta Kripke to emerging talents like Colombia’s Paola Martinez, Denmark’s Sofie Skoubo, and new athletes like USA’s Sarah Adam and Australia’s Ella Sabljak – the present and future of women in wheelchair rugby looks bright as the 13 competing in Vejle will help their teams in pursuit of victory and hopefully inspire the next generation of women and girls to see what’s possible with the right amount of skill and dedication.

Fun fact: New Zealand’s Christeen Smith was the first woman to compete at a World Championship in wheelchair rugby. She won a silver medal with the Wheel Blacks at the 1st World Championship in Nottwil in 1995.

Women competing at the 2022 World Wheelchair Rugby Championship

Australia: Emillee Miller (0.5)
Australia: Shae Graham (2.5)
Australia: Ella Sabljak (2.5)
Colombia: Paola Martinez (2.0)
Colombia: Leidis Omeira Hernandez (NEW)
Denmark: Sofie Skoubo (0.5)
Germany: Britta Kripke (1.0)
Germany: Mascha Mosel (2.5)
Great Britain: Kylie Grimes (0.5)
Japan: Kae Kurahashi (0.5)
New Zealand: Maia Amai-Marshall (2.5)
USA: Elizabeth Dunn (0.5)
USA: Sarah Adam (3.0)

Note: Female players don’t receive a reduction to their classification; instead, teams are allowed an additional 0.5 to their 8-point team total for each woman on the court.

Europe’s Time To Shine?

A European team has never made the podium at the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships, but that could all change this year, as Europe’s top 3 ranked teams could shake everything up at the top.

In 2021, Great Britain made history when they won the gold medal in Tokyo and became the first European wheelchair rugby team to reach the podium at the Paralympics and will no doubt be a medal contender in Denmark.

The Paralympic champion’s roster is full of experienced and exciting players and should be one of Europe’s top hopes to crack the podium, but they won’t be the only ones with medals in their sights.

Fifth-ranked France is building momentum towards hosting the Paralympics in 2024 and took a huge push forward earlier this year when they claimed their first European title at home in a 44-43 thriller over Great Britain. A medal in Vejle would be another significant milestone for the team on the road to Paris. Could this be the year that Les Bleus reach the podium? We’ll find out next week.

Meanwhile, hosts Denmark will be hoping that the home crowds can boost them to new heights. Vejle has already been the site of Danish wheelchair rugby history as the Danes qualified for their first Paralympic Games by winning the silver medal at the 2019 European Wheelchair Rugby Championships.

The Danes enter this year’s Worlds on the back of impressive performances at June’s Canada Cup and August’s Musholm Cup. Entering the tournament ranked 7th, the Danes could make noise and surprise once the tournament moves into the crossover games. Their hi-lo and pick-and-roll style of play lends itself to fast-paced, collision-filled matches that should give the home fans plenty to cheer for!

Germany and Switzerland are also back at the World Championships for the first time since 2014 and 2006, respectively. Despite being the two lowest seeds in Pool A, either side could pull off an upset and push into the crossovers where thanks to the magic of sport – Anything Can Happen.

Rivalries Renewed in Pool Play

One of the most entertaining elements of wheelchair rugby is the matches between nations made rivals through geography or through their history in the sport. The pools for this year’s tournament mean that we’ll see several exciting rivalries renewed in the early days of the championship.

For fans in Europe or Asia/Oceania who don’t get a chance to watch a lot of South American wheelchair rugby, there will be an opportunity to see the exciting match-up between Brazil and Colombia on Day 2 of the competition. These two sides have traded wins and losses over the past few years and often play in intense, physical, and tight matches. The first meeting between two South American teams at a World Championships should be a real thriller.

As mentioned above, France edged Great Britain to take the European title back in February. This match-up is starting to become appointment viewing, with the two teams having played close matches in the lead-up to Worlds at both the Canada Cup and King Power Quad Nations. Bragging rights and crucial seeding should be at stake when Europe’s top two-ranked teams meet on Day 3.

There was no Asia/Oceania Zonal Championship this cycle, so fans were denied the opportunity to watch another chapter unfold in the rivalry between 2018’s finalists, Japan and Australia. The last time these two teams met at the World Championship, Japan celebrated in Sydney following a 62-61 overtime triumph in one of the best finals in the history of the sport. The battle between two of the top teams in the world is always entertaining and could significantly impact quarterfinal match-ups after the dust clears from their final Pool B match on Day 4.

Who Will Break Out?

The World Championships are indeed all about crowning a winner, but another exciting aspect of Worlds is seeing which teams and athletes break out and make the leap to a higher level of performance once they’re on the world stage.

It’ll be interesting to see which players seize the spotlight, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the stars on lower-ranked teams get their time to shine beyond their respective regions and zones.

There are also several exciting new talents competing in their first World Championship, and I’ll have an article on some debutants to watch out for later this week.

Connect with the Championship

Have thoughts or predictions for the tournament that you’d like to share? Which athlete or team do you think will break out in Vejle. Let me know on Twitter @wheelNbragg and follow the 2022 World Wheelchair Rugby Championship and World Wheelchair Rugby across all social media channels during the tournament.

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