The Saints’ Wheelchair Rugby taster sessions got underway on Monday night, and community coach Connor Fleming says that he is encouraged by how many people have already taken part.
In all there were eight players – six adults, two juniors – at the Weston Favell Sports Centre on Monday, with two more volunteers and several more offers of help from parents.
The session – led by coaches from Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) – included an overview of the sport, how to safely and efficiently use the wheelchairs, basic ball skills and an introduction to contact between the chairs. The evening finished off with a game.
All of the participants were encouraged to bring a friend next week, and there was delight from all of the organisers, who are looking forward to building on these foundations in future weeks.
“It was great to see so many local people coming along to get involved in Wheelchair Rugby for the first time and have huge smiles on their faces throughout the session,” he said. “GBWR led a great introductory session for everyone that showed them the basics and how to use the chairs safely.
“As a department are really looking forward to seeing how this club can grow and increase the accessibility to sport for players with physical disabilities in and around Northamptonshire.”
GBWR taster sessions continue every Monday night between 7 and 8:30pm at Weston Favell Sports Centre for the next three weeks, with training then being run by the Saints community department on Monday nights thereafter. Joining the Wheelchair Rugby sessions is absolutely free, and they are open to anyone with a physical disability.
The Wheelchair Rugby team is also seeking volunteers to help out in various areas.
For more details email Connor Fleming at [email protected].
CLICK HERE for a more detailed overview about Wheelchair Rugby.
The Northampton Saints Wheelchair Rugby programme, which is funded by Comic Relief, seeks to enhance the well-being of people with disabilities by developing individual confidence alongside increasing physical activity levels and accessibility to sport.
