"Sky is the limit” for Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby team

Great Britain's Stuart Robinson said finishing on the podium at the recent Wheelchair Rugby European Championships in the Hague, Netherlands, marks a new beginning for the team.

Eight months ago, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champions failed to win a wheelchair rugby  medal at Paris 2024. Since then, the team took time to consolidate, bringing in new players and building a new culture.

“This medal is only the start,” Robinson said when asked to describe the bronze medal at the European Championships. “We’re not trying to go all out from the very start, winning as many medals as possible. We’re looking at the bigger picture, which is always going to be Los Angeles in 2028.”

The sky is the limit

Fresh and familiar faces showed that the future for Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby team looks bright when the team secured bronze with a convincing 59-48 victory over Germany. The European Championships took place from 22-27 April at Sportcampus Zuiderpark, featuring more than 90 athletes from eight teams.

Great Britain won two group matches before losing to France in the semifinal. France beat Denmark 53-49 in the final to win the European Championship for the third straight tournament.

“We were here to get some experience with new players in the squad. This event was a great opportunity for them to get some world-class opposition to play against,” Robinson said.

“Our new players bring so many fresh ideas, fresh playing styles. The sky is the limit.”

Gavin Walker, who represented Great Britain at three Paralympics, said, “It almost feels like starting again. But that’s quite refreshing. Particularly for those who have been in the sport for much longer. Having that youthful energy from players coming into the squad is amazing.”

“It helped me recover from the disappointment from Paris,” he added. “Those were my third Games and nothing is going to beat winning. But it’s important to move on.”

Starting again

Robinson and Walker won gold at Tokyo 2020 and was part of the fourth-place finishing team at the Paralympics last year.

“Personally, it took a lot of mental fortitude to continue after that,” Robinson said with a smile. “It was a very tough one to take, especially coming off the back of a gold medal in Tokyo. We had high hopes and a big target on our backs in Paris. But it didn’t work out the way we hoped.

“I had to recover from that, but I also knew my career couldn’t end after a fourth place,” he added. “We can no longer dwell in the past. We’re looking towards the future, and I want to see how far we can build.”

Female players are very much part of that plan. While the sport is still male-dominated at the highest level, several British trailblazing female players helped to break down barriers. Kylie Grimes was part of the gold-medal winning team at Tokyo 2020, and other British role models on the highest level include the likes of Josie Pearson (Beijing 2008) and Coral Batey (Rio 2016).

In the Hague, debutant Hannah Bucys and experienced player Faye West appeared on the team.

“Being one of the few multi-gender sports, increasing female participation is great,” Walker said.

“It’s nice to have them around,” Robinson added. “Whether they are females or not doesn’t make a difference for us. Sometimes they bring a different perspective. Having them around can only build our team further.”

One big family

Faye West, who has a lot of international experience playing in women’s teams, agreed. “We’re a united team, we’re growing as a unit, and we all have each other’s backs,” West said.

“As females, we are no different to any other player. The boys treat us the same as any other player – how it should be. Being a female doesn’t stop me. I am just as aggressive on court, and you have to be; it is a massive part of our sport. Being male or female doesn’t really affect anything.”

“Potentially we have a bit more composure, though”, she laughed. “We’re a bit more level-headed maybe. We don’t get over-eager, we just stay calmer.”

West, who initially played wheelchair tennis and later moved to wheelchair rugby, said that other females in the sport inspired her to start.

“It was great to see them at the top level in our sport. Having had female players in the Paralympic squads shows that it is possible and that is something I could aspire to.”

Bucys, who debuted for Great Britain in the Hague, felt exactly that.

“Everyone on the team is so welcoming. It’s like one big family,” she said. “It’s great to be in a mixed sport and show what we can do as females. I hope we can inspire others to fall in love with the sport like we have. You never know where it might take you.”