Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair rugby was developed in Canada in the 1970s by athletes with quadriplegia and combines elements of rugby, basketball and handball.

After being presented as a demonstration sport at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, it made its debut as a medal sport at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.

Wheelchair rugby is a mixed-team sport for male and female athletes. Players compete in manual wheelchairs specifically designed for the sport. Players must meet minimum disability criteria and be classifiable under the sport classification rules.

Wheelchair rugby is now an established Paralympic sport, with 28 countries having competed in international competitions and listed on the world ranking list, while more than 10 others are developing national programmes.

The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) is the global governing body of the sport.

Wheelchair rugby players are classified on a point system from 0.5 to 3.5.

Their points allocation is dependant on restrictions in arm and trunk function that impact wheelchair rugby skills such as ball handling (catching, passing, carrying the ball) and wheelchair manoeuvrability (start/stop/turn, tackling and blocking opponents).

A team is composed of five players, and the sum of points must be 8 or less.

ELIGIBLE IMPAIRMENT TYPES
Impaired muscle power
Athetosis
Impaired passive range of movement
Hypertonia
Limb deficiency
Ataxia