Introduction to the Sport

Wheelchair Rugby is a team sport for male and female quadriplegics. It is a unique sport created by athletes with a disability that combines some elements of Basketball, Rugby and Ice Hockey. The object of the game is to carry the ball across the opposing team's goal line. Two wheels must cross the goal line for a goal to count, and the player must have firm control of the ball when he or she crosses the line. 

All Wheelchair Rugby players compete in manual wheelchairs. Players must meet the minimum disability criteria of the sport, and must be classifiable under the sport classification rules. 

Wheelchair Rugby was invented in 1977 in Winnipeg, Canada, by a group of quadriplegic athletes who were looking for an alternative to Wheelchair Basketball. They wanted a sport which would allow players with reduced arm and hand function to participate equally. The sport they created, originally called Murderball, is now known as Wheelchair Rugby.

Wheelchair Rugby first appeared outside of Canada in 1979, at a demonstration at Southwest State University in Minnesota. The first Canadian National Championship was held that same year. The first team in the United States was formed in 1981, and the first international tournament, bringing together teams from the US and Canada, was held in 1982. Throughout the 1980s, other local and national tournaments took place in various countries. The first international tournament with a team from outside North America was held in 1989 in Toronto, Canada. With teams from Canada, the USA and Great Britain, this was a breakthrough for developing international competition and co-operation.  Wheelchair Rugby first appeared at the World Wheelchair Games in 1990 as an exhibition event. 

In 1993, with 15 countries actively participating, the sport was recognised as an official international sport for athletes with a disability and the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) was established as a sport section of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF).  Seven countries participated in Wheelchair Rugby at the 1993 Stoke Mandeville World Wheelchair Games. 

In 1994, Wheelchair Rugby was officially recognised by the International Paralympic Committee as a Paralympic sport. The first Wheelchair Rugby World Championships were held in Notwil, Switzerland, in 1995, with eight teams competing.  In 1996 Wheelchair Rugby was included as a demonstration sport in the Atlanta Paralympic Games. 

In 2000, Wheelchair Rugby was included for the first time in the Paralympic Games competition programme as a full medal sport at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.  It was also featured at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, and has been included in the competition program for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. 

Currently Wheelchair Rugby is actively played in more than twenty-five countries, and is under development in at least three other nations.  The IWRF presently includes three zones: Zone 1 (The Americas), with five active countries; Zone 2 (Europe), with fourteen active countries; and Zone 3 (Oceania), with six active countries.  The next Wheelchair Rugby World Championships will be held in Vancouver, Canada in September 2010.

To be eligible to play, individuals must have a disability which affects both the arms and the legs.  They must also be physically capable of propelling a manual wheelchair with their arms.  Athletes with neurological disabilities must have at least three limbs with limited functions; athletes with non-neurological disabilities must have limited function in all four limbs. 

The majority of Wheelchair Rugby players have spinal cord injuries which have resulted in full or partial paralysis of the legs and partial paralysis of the arms.  Other disability groups who are represented include polio, cerebral palsy, some forms of muscular dystrophy, dysmelia, amputations, and other neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome.  Men and women are classified equally and compete on the same teams; there are not separate teams for men and women’s competitions. 

Athletes compete in manual wheelchairs.  The rules of the sport include detailed specifications for the wheelchairs to ensure safety and fairness; in international competition, all wheelchairs must meet these requirements. 

To begin to play, any manual wheelchair may be used, although the game is easier when played in a lightweight sports-type wheelchair.  Many players begin using wheelchairs adapted from wheelchair basketball. 

The game is played with a white ball identical in size and shape to a regulation volleyball.  In addition to the ball, four cones, pylons, or other similar markers are required to mark the ends of the goal lines.  A game clock is also required; any clock used for basketball, handball, or other similar sports will be sufficient.