Mid July in Florida may seem an odd choice to hold a quad rugby event, but the heat only intensified the competition at the Inaugural Southern Slam Quad Rugby Tournament hosted by the Brooks Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program in Jacksonville Florida.

36 players from all over the country were pooled together and then split into teams of 6 players each. Each team then played two games together before the players were shuffled again and new teams set. The format offered a great opportunity for less experienced players to compete with some of the most talented players in the USQRA.

On the first day games were played with 4-10 minute running quarters to speed things along so that as many games as possible could be played. Athletes shifted between teams, learning new names, new skills and new styles all the while generating new friendships and.......new rivalries.

On the second day, several ‘Dream Teams’ were put together and put head to head for Bragging Rights. Players also sought out each other to be able to compete along side players who would normally be competitors or fierce rivals.

The weekend ended with the last game being played by two teams made up of volunteers, both staff and spectators who normally only ever get to watch the Greatest Game Ever Played.

Our thanks go to the Brooks program for sponsoring the event, the staff and volunteers who gave their time and effort and to the players for their athleticism, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport of Quad Rugby.

Photos from the event are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/aak7546/SummerSlam09. Hope to see you there next year!