Wheelchair Rugby

paralympic-sport · teamwork · wheelchair-athletics

Invented in Canada. Five Canadians created wheelchair rugby in 1976 because they wanted to create sports that people with tetraplegia (paralysis affecting all four limbs) could play competitively.

Played worldwide. Wheelchair rugby is now practiced in over twenty-five countries and is an official sport at the summer Paralympic Games, where athletes compete at the highest level.

A hybrid game. The rules mix basketball, ice hockey, handball, and rugby union together, creating something totally unique that no other sport offers.

Contact sport. Unlike many wheelchair sports, wheelchair rugby includes physical contact between wheelchairs as players battle for the ball, making it fast and exciting.

Carrying the ball. Players move the spherical ball toward the goal by carrying it while rolling in their wheelchairs, not by kicking like in traditional rugby.