Saints Wheelchair Rugby coach Jamie Higgins is under no illusions that the upcoming Summer Wheelchair Rugby 5s League campaign will be the toughest yet for his side, following their promotion into the Premiership Division.
After taking great strides forward over the last 12 months and topping the league’s Championship Division in 2018, Higgins’ charges face a new challenge in the coming weeks after stepping up a level.
“I’m extremely proud of everyone for earning promotion to the Premiership – but now the hard work really starts.”
Jamie Higgins, Saints Wheelchair Rugby coach
Saints will play their first Premiership match in just over a week’s time having only begun to play competitively a year ago, and will lock horns with the likes of Bournemouth Lions, Leicester Tigers, Ospreys, Stoke Mandeville Maulers, Team Solent Sharks and West Country Hawks this term.
The side will be led by Higgins and team captain Gerry Mac on Saturday 18 May, Saturday 13 July and Saturday 31 August at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury.
And while Higgins knows they will almost exclusively face teams with more experience in the Premiership, he is adamant Saints have the potential to hit another gear at the top table of UK Wheelchair Rugby.
“Saints Wheelchair Rugby is still a relatively young team, having only started up in January 2017 and taking part in our first competitive matches last year,” he said.
“So I’m extremely proud of everyone for earning promotion to the Premiership after such a short time – but now the hard work really starts.
“We’re hoping to be just as competitive in the Premiership Division in 2019 and we’ve been training hard as the clubs we’re now playing are very experienced and the competition will be fierce.
“I’m confident though that we can push on again and continue to improve this season. We’re still always on the lookout for new talent, so if you’re interested in Wheelchair Rugby please don’t hesitate to contact us and get involved.
“We're attending this year's series with a number of new players and our very first female player, so there are definitely opportunities to play if you come down and train hard.”
For more information about getting involved in Saints Wheelchair Rugby, please CLICK HERE or contact Jamie Higgins on [email protected].
To find out more about the WR5’s Summer League, please CLICK HERE.
