6/30/2005

European Championship in Wheelchair Rugby 2005 to be held in Denmark

Denmark is to be host country at the European Championship in wheelchair rugby in Lillebæltshallerne in Middelfart from 20th-23rd October.

Wheelchair rugby is a spectacular sport; it is a physical game with many goals for the tough guys within disability sport. The sport was invented in Canada in the late sixties, and today, it is one of the fastest growing disability sports in the world – and one of the most popular ones among the spectators.

In recent years, Danish wheelchair rugby has been working determinedly to reach the international elite, and at the latest European Championships, the team ended up as number 4. The vice captain, Thor Johanssen assumes that this result can be improved in a home match: “We would be glad to have medals in Middelfart.”

For the moment, Thor Johanssen is playing for Denver Harlequins in the American Wheelchair Rugby League, which is the world’s strongest league. He is looking forward to returning to the European Championships on home ground. “If many spectators will be watching the game, it can really be of great value to the team”, Thor Johanssen states. He also believes that his experience from America will be useful in connection with the European Championships. “It develops my personal way of playing because the level is so much higher over there, and this will be good for the team”, I believe.

Wheelchair rugby is a sport developed for wheelchair users with impaired hand function. Exemption from the disability can be granted according to a point system, which has been developed in order to enable the most severely disabled to participate in the game. Each player is rated from 0.5 to 3.5 points according to the level of hand function. The four players being on the court during a game cannot have a total of more than 8 player points.

At the European Championships, 12 teams will participate. Great Britain is defending the title European Champions.

www.wheelchairrugby05.dk