The Saints’ wheelchair rugby team is back in action for 2017/18 and is seeking new members for this exciting project.
Over the past year the team has established firm roots here in Northampton, with eight players regularly attending training sessions both here at Franklin’s Gardens and at Weston Favell Academy.
One member of the team, Gary Spratt, is currently qualifying to be a table official, and Jordan Yeates from the Saints’ community team has qualified as a level two wheelchair rugby coach. Thanks to the support of the Northamptonshire Federation of Disability Sport a rugby wheelchair has been acquired, with three more purchased through the Saints.
And if you were at the rugby festival before the second day of the Singha Premiership Rugby Sevens Series you would have been able to have a go at this all-action version of rugby.
But of course sport is all about the competition, and there has been plenty of this, too! Sessions have been delivered at Friars Academy in Wellingborough, who sent students to take part in the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) national junior championships last November.
Then at the end of April participants from the Saints Wheelchair team attended and took part in a GBWR Variant tournament at Stoke Mandeville along with teams from the South East and Midlands.
We’re looking to build on these solid foundations in the season to come, so if you want to be a part of it – whether as a player, volunteer, coach or referee – or want to book wheelchair rugby coaching at your school contact Jordan Yeates in the Saints’ community team via [email protected]
WHAT Training sessions
WHEN Every Monday between 7pm and 8:30pm
WHERE Weston Favell Academy, Northampton
ABOUT WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
Invented in 1977 in Canada
Became a Paralympic demonstration sport in 1996, becoming a full medal part of the Paralympic programme in 2000
Played on a basketball court
Squads of up to 12 players, with four on court at any one time
Four quarters of eight minutes each
Teams have 40 seconds in which to score, and 12 seconds to get out of their own half, otherwise possession is lost
Find out more at www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/wheelchairrugby
