Metro Cup test for wheelchair rugby Euros

For six wheelchair rugby teams, the 2019 Metro Cup in Warsaw, Poland, will be their final test before August’s European Championships.

The event runs from 4 to 6 July and will act as vital preparation for host nation Poland, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, who will all contest for regional medals and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic qualification in Vejle, Denmark, beginning 7 August.

Emerging wheelchair rugby nations Russia and Brazil round out the field of eight looking to show off their forms.

European Championships silver medallist Sweden highlight Pool A alongside Brazil – the 2017 Americas Championship bronze medallists –, Germany and Russia.

France defeated Denmark for the European bronze in 2017, and the two will battle in Pool B, along with Poland and the Netherlands.

Each team will play three pool matches, with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals and a shot at medals.

Denmark are the defending champions, winning all four matches against France, Sweden, Germany and Poland in the five-team tournament in 2017.

More information on the 2019 Metro Cup can be found on the event website http://metrocup.pl/

The squads are as follows:

Brazil: Gilson Dias Wirzma Junior (0.5), Lucas Couto Junqueira (0.5), Jose Raul Schoeller Guenther (1.0), Guilherme Figueiredo Camargo (1.5), Rafael Hoffmann (2.0), Jose Higino Oliveira Souza (2.0), Bruno Damaceno (2.5), Alexandre Keiji Taniguchi (2.5), Alexandre Vitor Giuriato (3.0), Julio Braz (3.5), Gabriel Feitosa de Lima (3.5), Daniel Goncalves (not classified).

Denmark: Thomas Pagh (0.5), Sofie Skoubo (0.5), Jesper Kruger (1.0), Kristian Bak Eriksen (2.0), Mikkel Schottel (2.0), Leon Jorgensen (3.0), Morten Elmholt (3.0), Mark Peters (3.5), Sebastian Frederiksen (3.5), Kashif Butt (not classified), Kaare Momme Nielsen (not classified), Jakob Mortensen (not classified).

France: Sebastien Verdin (3.0), Christophe Salegui (3.0), Jonathan Hivernat (3.0), Brice Maurel (2.5), Nicolas Valentim (2.0), Cedric Nankin (1.5), Jordan Ducret (1.0), Pierre Larroque (0.5), Corentin Le Guen (0.5)

Germany: Christian Riedel (0.5), Florian Bongard (1.0), Kripke Britta (1.0), Jens Sauerbier (2.0), Steffen Wecke (2.0), Josco Wilke (2.0), Michael Volter (3.0), Marco Herbst (3.5).

Netherlands: Scott van Polen (0.5), Reda Haouam (1.0), Hugo van Lersel (1.0), Bilal Mazgouti (1.0), Pieter den Admirant (1.5), Revando van Doorn (2.0), Jop van der Laan (2.0), Resul Karabulut (3.0), Haico Nijkamp (3.0), Timothy Falorni (3.5).

Poland: Krzysztof Kosider (0.5), Pawel Sierakowski (2.0), Leszek Lachmanowicz (2.0), Tomasz Depciuch (2.0), Krzysztof Kapusta (2.0), Pawel Szostak (2.0), Rafal Rocki (2.0), Lukasz Szalabski (2.0), Lukasz Brudek (2.5), Mateusz Wawczak (3.5), Piotr Stankiewicz (not classified), Lukasz Rekawiecki (not classified).

Sweden: Richard Loefgren (0.5), Conrad Hildebrand (1.0), Stefan Jansson (1.0), Roger Lindberg (2.0), Tomas Hjert (2.5), Marko Norrbacka (3.0), Tobias Sandberg (3.5).

Russia: Valerii Krivov (0.5), Dmitry Khamov (1.0), Vladimir Tsvetkob (1.5), Anton Andreichikov (1.5), Ivan Tsibulskii (2.0), Dmitrii Zbanatskii (2.0), Sergey Erkin (3.0), Daniil Davydov (3.5), Ilia Mysliaev (3.5), Sergei Bushmanov (not classified).