Author: Editor Prime

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.”

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.

WWR are pleased to announce that Stan Battock has been appointed the Interim Head of the organisations Technical Working Group (TWG) following Darren Roberts stepping down from the role earlier in the year.

Stan Battock a former Head of the Technical Committee and member of the TWG stated “I am honoured and humbled to accept the appointment as the Interim Head of the Technical Working Group for Wheelchair Rugby.  I look forward to working with the members of the TWG to achieve the outcomes that will make a difference to the sport and the technical officials involved in this great game.”

Richard Allcroft President of Wheelchair Rugby added “As an organisation, we will be entering into our next strategic phase over the next 12 months. Central to what we do are our volunteers which of course includes all of our technical officials ranging from referees, evaluators, game commissioners through to our many table officials.

Stan has years of experience within wheelchair rugby. I’d like to thank Stan for stepping into this interim position and I know he will help shape our next strategic objectives.

I’d like to thank Darren Roberts who has led the TWG since 2018. Darren is moving on after accepting a promotion within his daytime job which I know he will contribute to significantly. I wish him all the best.

Darren was also supported by Jon Corson throughout his tenure and my thanks go to Jon as well for his continued contributions.”

After 14 years as Head of Classification for World Wheelchair Rugby, Greg Ungerer will be stepping out the role on the 30th June 2024.

Greg Ungerer stated, “Over the last 14 years, we have seen some major changes to the Wheelchair Rugby Classification System, as we move towards a more evidence-based approach to classification.  It has been a pleasure to work with so many dedicated and talented classifiers over these years, and to have been part of the wonderful work of the Classification Working Group.  I am so pleased that Jacques has agreed to take on the role of Head of Classification, and having known Jacques for many years, I know he will bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspective to the role.”

On taking up the mantle Jacques Erasmus said, “It is an honour and privilege for me to step into this position – a position that Greg excelled in and I hope/trust I can continue his exceptional work. Thank you to the WWR Board for supporting my appointment and I look forward to working together with and serving the WWR family (WWR Board, WWR colleagues, WWR officials, WWR member nations and of course the athletes”.

President of WWR Richard Allcroft added, “Classification is the cornerstone of Paralympic sports and Wheelchair Rugby has a robust system in place which of course is underpinned by our fantastic group of volunteer classifiers. I know that the future work and development of our classification systems is in safe hands with Jacques steering the Working Group. I wish him all the best in the new role.

My thanks to Greg Ungerer who steps down after many years of service and commitment to Wheelchair Rugby. It is always difficult to convey how much work Greg has put into the sport but I know that anyone who has worked closely with him understand this and have benefited from his calm and professional approach to all areas of business.”

Photo: Isa Luchtenberg-ABRC

The premier event of Wheelchair Rugby on the continent, the WWR Americas Championship, also known as the Copa America, will be hosted by Brazil in 2025.

The Brazilian Wheelchair Rugby Association (ABRC) and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) have received approval from World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR), the International Federation of Wheelchair Rugby, to organize the competition in 2025.

The tournament, which aims to bring together the top eight teams from the Americas, offers two direct slots for the 2026 World Championship. In the 2022 edition of the Copa America, held in Colombia, Brazil secured the bronze medal.

“ABRC believes that hosting international events like the Copa America is very important for the growth of Rugby in Brazil, as it brings the sport closer to the Brazilian public and fans, and allows for exchanges with some of the strongest teams in the world that are here in our continent,” emphasized José Higino, president of ABRC.

This will be the first time Brazil hosts the WWR-licensed  competition, made possible through a partnership with CPB, which will provide the facilities of the Brazilian Paralympic Training Center, in São Paulo, for the event.

“For us, it is a great joy to host such a significant event at the Paralympic Training Center. Wheelchair Rugby is a sport that evolves every year. We won an unprecedented medal at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, where we secured the bronze. We went to the Qualifiers for Paris 2024 and came very close to a Paralympic spot.

With the work that ABRC and CPB have been doing, including at the grassroots level, I am sure that better results will soon emerge. And Brazil hosting the WWR Americas Championship is also part of this process,” said Mizael Conrado, president of CPB.

In late 2023, the Brazilian Paralympic Training Center received a visit from Juan Foa, Regional Manager of the Americas for WWR, who was accompanied by Mateus Campana, ABRC’s administrative vice president. Foa inspected the Brazilian facilities and praised the space managed by CPB, which serves as the home for the Brazilian National Team.

“I found the facilities at the Paralympic Center to be very good. Having accommodation and sports facilities in one place facilitates the flow of a tournament schedule. The 100% accessible accommodation is very good, and the sports facilities are also up to the standard for an international event,” declared Foa.

Tim Johnson, WWR Competitions Working Group Lead, said, “Brazil’s growth over the past 10 years has been substantial. Hosting the 2025 WWR Americas Championship will further their development and performance even more. They missed qualification for 2024 Paris Paralympics by the smallest margins after their loss against Germany at the recent 2024 WWR Paralympic Qualification tournament. I’m confident that hosting this event will be another step towards a return to the Paralympics.”

Richard Allcroft, President of WWR added, “I was pleased to see Brazil putting in a strong bid for our Championship Event. Brazil have been running some exciting programs recently and the opportunity to host the 2025 Americas Championship will act as a catalyst, to promote and develop wheelchair rugby in Brazil and hopefully South America. Congratulations! “

The WWR Americas Championship will be held in São Paulo, at the Paralympic Training Center, in July 2025.

For further information contact: office@worldwheelchair.rugby

On the final day of the 2024 WWR Paralympic Qualification Tournament, the final slots were still to play for.

The 1^st & 2^nd placement match was neck and neck throughout. Australia took the lead by 1 try in overtime, winning by 49-48 against Canada, repeating the result from the 2023 International Wheelchair Rugby Cup final in Paris last October. Both teams qualified for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

The 3^rd & 4^th placement match was arguably the most important of the tournament, determining the last qualification slot for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. With 2 minutes to go in the first quarter, Brazil took an early lead over Germany, 13-11. The first quarter ended 17-16 to Brazil. In the 2^nd quarter, Germany forced several turnovers and took the lead by 2 tries. The score was 28-26 with 2 minutes remaining. Half time score; Germany 32, Brazil 30. By the end of the third quarter, Germany had a strong lead of 6 tries, with the score at that stage 42-36. The game ended with the score 62 – 50, Germany defeated Brazil and earnt the final qualification slot for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Germany will compete again at the Paralympics; their last appearance was in Beijing in 2008.

As the Paralympic Qualification Tournament came to an end in Wellington, New Zealand, the 3 qualification slots for the 2024 Paris Paralympics were obtained by Australia, Canada and Germany. Overall placings at the event were:

1st	Australia
2nd	Canada
3rd	Germany
4th	Brazil
5th	New Zealand
6th	Netherlands
7th	Colombia
8th	Switzerland

With all the slots now determined, the teams qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympics and how they qualified are:

France	Host and 2023 European Championship Winners
Great Britain	2nd place at the 2023 European Championship
Denmark	3rd place at the 2023 European Championship
Japan	2023 Asia Oceania Championship Winners
USA	2023 Parapan American Games Winners
Australia	2024 Paralympic Qualification Tournament Winners
Canada	2nd place at the 2024 Paralympic Qualification Tournament
Germany	3rd place at the 2024 Paralympic Qualification Tournament

New Zealand’s capital city is playing host this week to the WWR Paralympic Qualification Tournament 2024, where eight teams will compete for the remaining three spots at this years Paris Paralympics.

The eight teams are split into two pools. Pool A consists of Australia, Colombia, Germany and Switzerland. While Pool B has Canada, Brazil, Netherlands and hosts New Zealand.

Due to the layout of the tournament, the two teams that win the semi-finals, will qualify them their spot at the Paralympics, while the two losing teams will battle it out for the remaining spot in Paris held in August.

Australian and Canada come into this as strong favourites having both finished second in their respective Zonals, while the other six sides, especially the hosts, would love to cause an upset or two. This will make the five day of the tournament come alight.

The venue for this is the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport, in Trentham, a suburb of Wellington 30 minutes north of the city. In a first for the sport, the court being used for the tournament is a basketball court being shipped from Christchurch and laid over an artificial turf.

Action starts Wednesday 20th March with Pool play continuing Thursday and Friday. Saturday sees cross-pool matches, with the final matches taking place on Sunday 24th March. The five days of competition for the Paralympic Qualification Tournament, is the same number of days that will be used for the Paris Paralympics later in the year.

You don’t want to miss the action. All games are being shown on YouTube through World Wheelchair Rugby’s channel. All NZ games are also being shown live and free to air through Sky Open (Prime). If you are in Wellington and wanting to watch the action live, there are door sales at the venue.

World Wheelchair Rugby’s Social Media pages will also have half-time and full-time updates of each game.

Countries already qualified for 2024 Paris Paralympics – France (Hosts), Great Britain, Denmark, USA and Japan.

By Sara Pardoe

In celebration of International Women’s Day, a groundbreaking initiative has been launched to champion gender equality in the exhilarating world of wheelchair rugby. A task group dedicated to increasing female participation in the sport on a global scale has been established, marking a significant step towards fostering inclusivity and diversity within the wheelchair rugby community. Wheelchair rugby, a dynamic and high-impact Paralympic sport, has long been beloved for its intensity, skill, and teamwork. However, women have historically been underrepresented in this electrifying game. Recognizing the need for greater female involvement, the newly formed task group aims to break down barriers, create opportunities, and empower women to excel in wheelchair rugby at all levels. Comprised of passionate advocates, industry leaders, and athletes dedicated to promoting gender diversity, the task group will spearhead a wide range of initiatives designed to attract, retain, and support female athletes in wheelchair rugby. By fostering a culture of inclusivity and providing targeted resources and support, the group seeks to pave the way for a more equitable and diverse future for the sport. 

 “As a Paralympic sport that sees any gender competing together on court at the same time, it’s important we ensure that we are an attractive proposition and that at all levels of development, we create positive and welcoming environments. I’m pleased that we will be focusing on this important matter as part of our next strategic phase.” Richard Allcroft World Wheelchair Rugby President. 

“I am thrilled about the launch of this task group. We will be reaching out to the global membership for your input as we move this process forward. The stage has been set and the time it right to ensure female participation in wheelchair rugby is able to reach its peak and reflect the increasing demand and opportunity.” Kathy Newman WWR Director Competitions & Development. 

 As the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day, the launch of this task group serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of gender equality and inclusivity in sports. By championing female athletes in wheelchair rugby, we not only enrich the sport but also inspire the next generation of athletes to reach for their dreams, regardless of gender.  

For more information about the task group and its initiatives, please contact:

Kathy Newman   (she/her)
newman.kathy2@gmail.com
WhatsApp 1-778-773-2784

 Follow WWR on Social Media:

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

 Join us in celebrating International Women’s Day and the journey towards gender equality in wheelchair rugby. Together, we can create a more inclusive, diverse, and empowering future for all athletes. 

 #EmpowerWomenInRugby #InternationalWomensDay #DiversityInSports  

For media inquiries, please contact: Kathy Newman   (she/her)
newman.kathy2@gmail.com
WhatsApp 1-778-773-2784

World Wheelchair Rugby has announced that the World Wheelchair Rugby European Championship Division B will be held in Finland, at the Pajulahti Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, from September 29th to October 7th, 2024.

This significant event brings together 8 teams from Europe to compete for the prestigious championship and qualifying to Division A. The competition provides a unique opportunity to witness world-class wheelchair rugby and highlights the importance and diversity of Parasports.

The Pajulahti Olympic and Paralympic Training Center has previously successfully hosted the World Wheelchair Rugby European Championship Division B in 2018.

Laura Kittelä, Event director of Pajulahti commented “It’s great that the event is returning to Pajulahti. We once again get to enjoy the fantastic and thrilling matches in the same venue as 2018.”

Riikka Juntunen, Secretary General of Finnish Paralympic Committee commented “Olympic and Paralympic Training Center Pajulahti offers excellent conditions for the games, with the athlete at the center. In Pajulahti, numerous para-sports competitions have been organized and the experienced competition organizers know how to take the teams into account in the best possible way. Thanks to all the organizers of the event, the Ministry of Education and Culture and all other supporters for making this event possible.”

The top two teams from the Championship will advance to the European Championship Division A.

Richard Allcroft, President of World Wheelchair Rugby added “Finland are an excellent host of International wheelchair Rugby and I’m sure people will be excited and witness, some excellent Rugby, that will see teams earn the chance to qualify for the next 2026 World Championships.  I know that the teams will have a great experience In Pajulahti.”

More info:

Laura Kittelä, Event Director laura.kittela@pajulahti.com

---

WWR and Loughborough University would like to invite wheelchair rugby athletes, team support personnel and classifiers to partake in a study on the experiences and perceptions of classification processes in wheelchair rugby.

To date, there is very little research that has explored the experiences and impact of classification on para-athletes and their wider team. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions and experiences of athletes and athlete support personnel when going through the classification processes in wheelchair rugby. This study aims to understand how classification may impact upon athlete and ASP wellbeing, sports performance and continued participation in the sport. Researchers would like to understand how to support athletes and ASP through the classification processes, and in navigating the outcomes of classification.

Who is doing this research and why?

This study is part of a PhD student research project supported by Loughborough University. The study will be undertaken by Ellie-May Storr and supervised by Dr Jamie Barker, Dr Carolyn Plateau and Professor Vicky Tolfrey. The study is funded by The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University.

Are there any inclusion or exclusion criteria?

You must be over the age of 18 and have the capacity to fully understand and consent to this research.

You must:

• Play wheelchair rugby to a club, national or international standard
• Have experience and/or knowledge of domestic OR International Classification
• OR be an athlete support personnel associated to a wheelchair rugby team or organisation, with experience of the classification processes
• Examples of athlete support personnel include coaches, managers, psychologists, physiotherapists
  

Exclusion Criteria

• Any athlete or athlete support personal who may find discussing classification distressing will be excluded from the study.

What will I be asked to do?

Those partaking in the study will be invited to provide written informed consent before participating. You will be asked to attend a 1-1 online interview (MS teams) to discuss your experiences and perceptions of classification processes. The interview will be audio and video recorded and will take around an hour.

Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?

No identifiable personal information will be included in any of the project submissions or shared beyond the investigators. No individual will be identifiable in any report, presentation, or publication. A pseudonym will be used.

For the full Participant Information Sheet, please click here.

If you have any further questions, please contact Ellie-May Storr: E.Storr@lboro,ac,uk

If you would like to take part in this study, please contact the below:

Ellie-May Storr, Lead Investigator E.Storr@lboro.ac.uk School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU. Tel: 01509 225945

Prof Vicky Tolfrey v.l.tolfrey@lboro.ac.uk School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU. Tel 01509 226386

Dr Jamie Barker J.B.Barker@lboro.ac.uk, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU.  Tel: 01509 226363.

Dr Carolyn Plateau, C.R.Plateau@lboro.ac.uk, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU.  Tel: 01509 228487