Wheelchair Rugby Athletes Unleash Grit and Drama at Season Opener

by Sharon Robb - Media Contact

www.carolinacrash.org

Once referred to as Murderball, wheelchair rugby is now officially referred to as quad rugby. The sport has a long history but debuted at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, GA and was adopted as an official competitive paralympic team sport and medal event by the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) after those games.

The game is a full contact/collision sport. No helmets or pads are worn. Teams play 4 on 4 on a basketball court, with the athletes strapped to dynamically altered, custom fit wheelchairs. The game is fast paced and explosive. Turnovers occur when a team fails to inbound, pass or dribble the ball in 10 seconds, advance the ball beyond half court in 12, score within 40, or if an offensive player is knocked off the court - whether he has the ball or not.

Charlottes home team, the Carolina Crash (recent recipients of a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grant) will host teams from Atlanta, Raleigh, DC, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville at the Marvin Ridge High School (MRHS) in Waxhaw, just south of the Queen City.

Marvin (a 2 year old Union County school and already a 2 time Wachovia Cup winner) boasts one of the youngest quad rugby players in the country at age 16.  Sam Robb, a junior, has been a Crash offensive starter for two years now and is well into his third year of competitive play.   The squad, consisting of both longtime veterans as well as newcomers, is redeveloping as a Division II program after a hiatus from competitive play due to lack of funds and players.

First time spectators tend to marvel at the athletic prowess of the players and cringe upon chair impact - a resounding, repetitive part of play.  The athletes of the Crash as well as those players traveling to Charlotte to compete, tend to down play the traumatic injuries and disabilities that have led them to participate in the sport.  The aggressive nature of wheelchair rugby does a great deal to dispel the myth that this group represents a vulnerable population.

The tournament will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 2 pm on Sunday at Marvin Ridge High School, 2825 Crane Road, Waxhaw, NC.    Admission is free.  A full event schedule can be found on the teams website at www.carolinacrash.org.