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Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby London 2012

The Wheelchair Rugby competition will see eight highly-motivated teams square off in a fiercely competitive battle for gold.

Did you know?

The game starts with a tip-off. A player from each side attempts to 'tip' the ball, from the referee’s throw, to a member of their team.

To be eligible to play, individuals must have a disability which affects both the arms and the legs.

Key facts

Venue: Olympic Park - Basketball Arena
Dates: Wednesday 5 September – Sunday 9 September 2012
Medal events: 1
Athletes: 96 (8 teams)

Wheelchair Rugby was invented in 1977 by a group of Canadian quadriplegic athletes, who were looking for an alternative to Wheelchair Basketball that would allow players with reduced arm and hand function to participate on equal terms. The sport they created, which incorporates some elements of Basketball, Handball and Ice Hockey, has since grown into a thrilling and intense spectacle, and is enormously popular with Paralympic spectators around the world.

The basics

Wheelchair Rugby is played indoors on a regulation-size Basketball court by teams of four, using a white ball identical in size and shape to a volleyball. The object of the game is to carry the ball across the opposition’s goal line. Contact between wheelchairs is permitted, but physical contact is outlawed. The result is a fast-moving sport that requires plenty of skill and toughness from its competitors.

The Wheelchair Rugby tournament at London 2012 will feature eight teams made up of both men and women – it is a mixed sport – who will begin the competition in two groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, and the semi-final winners will then go head-to-head for the gold.

Wheelchair Rugby, past and present

Wheelchair Rugby first appeared in the Paralympic Games at Atlanta in 1996, when it featured as a demonstration sport. Its debut as a full medal event followed at Sydney 2000, when the US beat Australia 32-31 in a thrilling gold medal match.

At London 2012, the Wheelchair Rugby competition will take place at the Basketball Arena, a new purpose-built venue in the Olympic Park.

Jargon buster

- Court: The playing area, measuring 28m by 15m.
- Foul: Illegal interference with an opposing player, the penalty resulting in a loss of possession or a one-minute penalty.
- Key area: An 8m-by-1.75m section at either end of the court at the goal line.

Get involved

If you want to get started, check out the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby website, or see Parasport. There’s also plenty of information on the website of International Wheelchair Rugby Federation.