Sport

SA to host world qualifier rugby tournament

South Africa is set to host the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) 2013 Asia-Oceania Championship from 16-23 November at the LC de Villiers Stadium, University of Pretoria.

JOHANNESBURG: Asia-Oceania is the most competitive wheelchair rugby zone in the world, coupled with the fact that this tournament is an official qualifier for the IWRF World Championships and Paralympic Games, competing teams are set for an immense challenge.

South Africa will compete against high-ranked teams from Australia (2), Japan (5) and New Zealand (10).

The top two teams at the end of the tournament will qualify, and the third team will obtain a wild card entry into the World Championships. As host, team South Africa stands a good chance of obtaining a wild card entry into the World Championships in 2014.

Lack of competition and funding is a huge disadvantage for the South African team, and because of this, the national team has not competed internationally since 2009.

“In order to continue to develop the sport, we need to take advantage of competition opportunities in order to increase our world ranking. So when the opportunity came to host this world qualifier, we didn’t hesitate,” states Clyde Holland, Chairman of SA Wheelchair Rugby.

In the lead up to the event, the local team members have personally funded training camps, and have managed to garner some support from local businesses.

“Wheelchair rugby is the only full contact sport code for the more severely disabled athlete. Hosting this event will help us create an awareness of our sport among severely disabled athletes from all communities, and competing in this event, may just help us realise our goal of participating in the 2016 Paralympic Games,” adds Victor Buitendag SA WCR administrator.

Competing teams are due to arrive from November 16, with the opening ceremony and first games to take place on November 20. Players from the following clubs have been selected for the South African squad Tukkies (Okker Anker; Clyde Holland; Andrew Deere; Victor Buitendag; Yolande Oosthuysen; Kat Swanepoel; Bennie Erasmus; Bennie Dorfling); Bloemfontein Mustangs (Jared McIntyre; Johnny Sutil); East London Bullfrogs (Koos Jacobs); East London Mandeville (Bongamandla Khumalo); Cape Town Eagles (Enrico Avenant) and Troye Collins who used to play for Great Britain, now resident in Cape Town.

SA WCR has announced free entrance for all local spectators to come and support each match. The full programme of events and team information is available on the team’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/iwrf.sawcr.co.za or follow team news on twitter @SAWCR.

The SA WCR is a non-profit organisation and anyone wishing to donate to SA WCR should visit the team website for contact details www.sawcr.co.za

About South Africa Wheelchair Rugby:

Today, the idea of people with a disability being able to participate in sport and physical activity is not so uncommon. In many countries, opportunities exist from the grassroots to elite levels for people with a disability to showcase their abilities in sport and physical activity. But this is not the case in all parts of the world. While there has been progressive and positive change in quality of life for people with disabilities in many developed countries, often this progress is not reflected in other developing countries. The contribution wheelchair rugby will make to the overall well being and uplifting of both disabled and able bodied people in South Africa, will assist people in all communities and walks of life do break barriers of poverty, building activity pathways for people with disabilities and using sport and physical activity programmes to reach wider development goals.

People with a disability in developing countries have major barriers to overcome. Sports can be used as a therapeutic instrument and an educational tool, as a way to create both self-esteem and awareness and as a catalyst for re-integration in society. Sport may assist in promoting programmes of conflict resolution and reconciliation between sharply divided communities.

Team sports can force people who have been divided by war and deep-seated enmities to see these ‘enemies’ as team-mates with particular skills and qualities that assist in achieving common goals.

Physical activity has a key part to play in improving health and well being.

The development of Wheelchair rugby in South Africa must be seen as a integrate part of the process to having a successful national wheelchair rugby team at all international competitions.

South African Wheelchair Rugby has their mind set on one goal, namely the development of wheelchair rugby in all communities in order to provide a better quality of life for people living with severe disabilities.

By participating in wheelchair rugby the general health and well-being of participants will improve, as the training and exercise will contribute to better physical- as well as emotional health. These, however, are not the only benefits it will bring. As strength, endurance and self esteem improve by playing wheelchair rugby this will carry over into tasks of daily living, leading to higher levels of independence in everyday activities. Hence the belief, that participating in wheelchair rugby will enhance the overall quality of life.

In order to continue to develop the sport, South Africa needs all competition opportunities to increase the wheelchair rugby world ranking. It is therefore of utmost importance that they will be focused on a competitive, action packed year programme, filled with endless opportunities to develop skill, improve fitness and technique, and thus contribute to the overall development and ranking of South African Wheelchair Rugby.

Wheelchair Rugby is one of the sports recognised by the International Paralympics Committee (IPC). Every two years there are continental zone tournaments, these tournaments and many others should be seen as development tournaments and will result in determining world ranking points and ultimately who qualifies for World Championships and Paralympics. South Africa is part of the Oceania zone which includes Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and South Africa.

History of Wheelchair Rugby:

Wheelchair Rugby was invented in 1977 in Winnipeg, Canada, by a group of quadriplegic athletes who were looking for an alternative to Wheelchair Basketball. They wanted a sport which would allow players with reduced arm and hand function to participate equally. The sport they created, originally called Murderball, is now known as Wheelchair Rugby.

Wheelchair Rugby first appeared outside Canada in 1979 at a demonstration at Southwest State University in Minnesota. The first Canadian National Championship was held the same year. The first team in the United States was formed in 1981, and the first international tournament, bringing together teams from the US and Canada, was held in 1982. Throughout the 1980s, other local and national tournaments took place in various countries. The first international tournament was held in 1989 in Toronto, Canada, with teams from Canada, the USA and Great Britain. This was a breakthrough for developing international competition and cooperation. Wheelchair Rugby first appeared at the World Wheelchair Games in 1990 as an exhibition event.

In 1993, with 15 countries actively participating, the sport was recognized as an official international sport for athletes with a disability and the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) was established as a sport section of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF). Seven countries participated in Wheelchair Rugby at the 1993 Stoke Mandeville World Wheelchair Games.

In 1994, Wheelchair Rugby was officially recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as a Paralympic sport. The first Wheelchair Rugby World Championship was held in Notwil, Switzerland, in 1995, with eight teams competing. In 1996 Wheelchair Rugby was included as a demonstration sport in the Atlanta Paralympic Games. Since the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, Wheelchair Rugby has been a full medal sport at all summer Paralympic Games.

In 2010, responsibility for governance of the sport of Wheelchair Rugby internationally was transferred from the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation to the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation.

Who can play?

To be eligible to play, individuals must have a disability which affects both the arms and the legs. They must also be physically capable of propelling a manual wheelchair with their arms. The majority of Wheelchair Rugby players have spinal cord injuries which have resulted in full or partial paralysis of the legs and partial paralysis of the arms. Other disability groups who are represented include polio, cerebral palsy, some forms of muscular dystrophy, dysmelia, amputations, and other neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Men and women are classified equally and compete on the same teams; there are no separate teams for men’s and women’s competitions.

What equipment is required?

Athletes compete in manual wheelchairs. The rules of the sport include detailed specifications for the wheelchairs to ensure safety and fairness; in international competition, all wheelchairs must meet these requirements.

To begin to play, any manual wheelchair may be used, although the game is easier when played in a lightweight sports-type wheelchair. Many players begin using wheelchairs adapted from wheelchair basketball.

The game is played with a white ball identical in size and shape to a regulation volleyball. In addition to the ball, four cones, pylons, or other similar markers are required to mark the ends of the goal lines. A game clock and a shot clock are also required; any clock used for basketball will be sufficient.

What facilities are required?

Wheelchair Rugby is played indoors on a regulation sized basketball court.

Hardwood is the preferred playing surface, although other surfaces are acceptable. The playing surface must be accessible to people in wheelchairs.

Any facility which can be used for wheelchair basketball will be sufficient for wheelchair rugby.

It is very sad to know that SA has got some wonderful and inspiring athletes who can’t compete on a international level due to lack of sponsorship.

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