Wheelchair Rugby

[Big Ewis]

Did you guys know about this ?...
I'm sorry if I'm bringing a bit of sadness to some ppl from watching this, but I thought Rugby fans should know about this.
They actually pass it forward.
There isn't even a fkn commentator to call the plays... :huh:

Wheelchair Rugby, guys..

 

[Superalexmarket]

This discipline makes me think a lot of questions (and jokes too but do not wanna be frowned upon).
- How can you tackle a guy in a wheelchair?
- Why they pass the ball forward? In any case it would American Football, not Rugby.
- Why not an oval ball?
- No penalty kicks or drop goals? (Damn I did it)

 

[lynam1104]

Somebody sent me a video like this after I broke my leg so I'm aware of it existence, it's really more american football than rugby however.

 

[Big Ewis]

This discipline makes me think a lot of questions (and jokes too but do not wanna be frowned upon).
- How can you tackle a guy in a wheelchair?
- Why they pass the ball forward? In any case it would American Football, not Rugby.
- Why not an oval ball?
- No penalty kicks or drop goals? (Damn I did it)

and I don't want to be the pathetic thoughtful nice righteous little fag, but for me it makes me thank God I still have my two legs and it makes me very sad tbh !
These guys every single day have to look at others walk around, jump around and just live normal lives, date normal girls, smile, and have ZERO serious worries...every day they have to accept this, and stop thinking about everything they would achieve if they just only had their two legs.

But yes, wheelchair or not, it's strange and surely they could have developed a more Rugby-like approach to the disabled.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

This looks more like wheelchair Basketball with collisions and no basket than rugby. Unlike other wheelchair sports, the similarity to the original is practically nil.

 

[Big Ewis]

This looks more like wheelchair Basketball with collisions and no basket than rugby. Unlike other wheelchair sports, the similarity to the original is practically nil.

I know, it's very weird...and they take random dribbles for some reason......anyways.
Brave men against all odds, very respectable.

 

[kipper]

I would imagine this as a young rugby sport with many things still to be defined.

 

[Rich Taff]

It's also known as 'murderball', and to hear the people who play it talk is inspirational. "I've already broken my neck once, why should I back out?" etc

There's something coming up in the parawinterolympics (or whatever its called), with 'sledge hockey'. Apparently it's pretty much the same, but on ice, with people hitting each other with sticks as well.

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

It's also known as 'murderball', and to hear the people who play it talk is inspirational. "I've already broken my neck once, why should I back out?" etc

There's something coming up in the parawinterolympics (or whatever its called), with 'sledge hockey'. Apparently it's pretty much the same, but on ice, with people hitting each other with sticks as well.

Aye, sledge hockey is very popular in Canada. I am in the army and they hold the national camp in Petawawa, ON which is a major military base in Canada due to the large number of disabled soldiers that play on the team. I know a couple of the lads who play, they lost their limbs in Afghanistan, inspirational bunch of fellows who make me want to be a better person everyday I wake up and put the uniform on.

 

[LittleGuy]

Wheelchair rugby is also a Canadian developed game created in 1977, it was called murderball originally as Rich Taff stated, and like others have observed the game is a combination of, basketball, rugby, handball and even Ice Hockey.

 

[psychic duck]

I watched wheelchair rugby at the Paralympics. I felt it was far too easy to score a point and stopping a point was more noteworthy than actually scoring one. Also it's not really like rugby at all either. More like basketball or handball without the hoops/goals.

 

[DorsetDestroyer]

Having played Able Bodied Rugby years ago, and now setting up my own Wheelchair Rugby Club in Dorset, you really do need to man up to play against us.

If you think being rugby tackled is bad, try being knocked out of your wheelchair when you are paralysed from the chest down or you only have 1 arm and no legs!!

A Rugby Wheelchair is between 5 and 7 stone in weight, so not only can you end up with someone else crashing into you as a dead weight because they have no lower body control, but the weight of your wheelchair and the other wheelchair and you'll soon sort the men from the boys.

It's not a game for weak minded players, you have to give it all in order to survive a match. When you've got 50 year olds with 1 arm and no legs against a 22 year old squaddie who weighs 20 stone, and the 50 year old can out manoeuvre him you'll learn what a very skilful and technical game it is.

Think of it as Chess, but in a car without seat belts on and that's the closest you'll get to it.

Everyone is game and we've had AB (Able Bodied) rugby players getting out of the wheelchairs after having a taster saying how much harder it is to play.

And if you fancy donating to one of our wheelchairs (See below) then one day you can pop down and give it a go, but I promise we'll be gentle with you (Until you get in the wheelchair, that is)

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYQx1W9axlY

1.21 shows what it's like when 2 players hit 1 - Then you know you're in for one hell of a treat

 

[Mikel92]

This discipline makes me think a lot of questions (and jokes too but do not wanna be frowned upon).
- How can you tackle a guy in a wheelchair?
- Why they pass the ball forward? In any case it would American Football, not Rugby.
- Why not an oval ball?
- No penalty kicks or drop goals? (Damn I did it)

Wow. What an awful, grubby little parasite you are. Do the world a favour and top yourself.

Big Ewis, yeah there is a little of pleasures they miss out on that you and I probably enjoy. But I don't view it as some immense sadness or pitty. The Wheel Blacks (or whatever the hell they're called) are respected in the community over here, and you can tell the pride they have in engaging with the sport. They face opportunities and get to be part of something of their own given their circumstances which is awesome. And while I'd prefer to keep my limbs personally, I think it's good that this is embraced.

Yeah a few things aren't exactly like what we watch on a Saturday night. They are in a wheelchair though.

 

[Big Ewis]

it's competition between men, nevertheless. It may be a diminished form of Rugby, but the competitiveness is there all the same, and that's all that counts for people: a clear goal to strive for. Thank God we live in an era where those with handicaps can express themselves and have the necessary logistics/material/infrastructure to make it all possible, it certainly wasn't that way just recently.

 

[DorsetDestroyer]

Life is for the taking and the taking part in.

 

[Big Ewis]

Having played Able Bodied Rugby years ago, and now setting up my own Wheelchair Rugby Club in Dorset, you really do need to man up to play against us.

If you think being rugby tackled is bad, try being knocked out of your wheelchair when you are paralysed from the chest down or you only have 1 arm and no legs!!

A Rugby Wheelchair is between 5 and 7 stone in weight, so not only can you end up with someone else crashing into you as a dead weight because they have no lower body control, but the weight of your wheelchair and the other wheelchair and you'll soon sort the men from the boys.

It's not a game for weak minded players, you have to give it all in order to survive a match. When you've got 50 year olds with 1 arm and no legs against a 22 year old squaddie who weighs 20 stone, and the 50 year old can out manoeuvre him you'll learn what a very skilful and technical game it is.

Think of it as Chess, but in a car without seat belts on and that's the closest you'll get to it.

Everyone is game and we've had AB (Able Bodied) rugby players getting out of the wheelchairs after having a taster saying how much harder it is to play.

And if you fancy donating to one of our wheelchairs (See below) then one day you can pop down and give it a go, but I promise we'll be gentle with you (Until you get in the wheelchair, that is)

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYQx1W9axlY

1.21 shows what it's like when 2 players hit 1 - Then you know you're in for one hell of a treat

that's laudable, and I'm not being the kitsch sympathizer, that's some organization and to go through it the whole way, that's just laudable. So just like "able" Rugby, this sport has so much to do with mental strength also, but surely more. I don't want to expose your own personal life here publicly DorsetDestroyer by asking you questions, but I'm curious about a few things for a wheelchair Rugby player.

Here's one: are you still as avid an "able" Rugby watcher, or have you found it comes down to the proximity of your own life, to the things you tangibly do in the every-day life that directs your thoughts and interests long-term ? Has able Rugby become somewhat secondary ?

 

[DorsetDestroyer]

AB Rugby doesn't do too much for me at the moment, but that was because of my Dad trying to man me up when I wanted to be a cyclist, back in the late 1970's!!

I went away from Rugby after my medical problems kept popping up and resisted all urges to watch it or be there to see it, but now bit by bit I think age and training myself and being trained to become a Coach you have to open your mind and watch and learn from others so that you can follow or not follow others ideas.

My life is though, fantastic. I've had 43 operations, I'm still standing (Though wobbly) and I've been lucky. I've learnt from others mistakes, and my own ones.

I just read this out to my mate and he said "How do I think I'm lucky after all the ops and skint?" Well, I'm alive, I've got 2 great kids, a gorgeous loving wife, and yes I only earn £2,000 a year from my self employment at the moment, but I've got food on my table, bit of fuel in the car, enough money for gas and electricity and mates, plenty of mates, real mates that I can call on day or night.

How much luckier can you get? I don't think I can be any luckier.

 

[DorsetDestroyer]

This picture says it all too me. Lots of laughter and fun