Finland to host wheelchair rugby B Euros

The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) has announced that Lahti, Finland, will host the 2018 European Championship Division B from7-15 October.

Hosted by the Finnish Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities, the Championship will bring together eight teams battling for promotion to the Division A Championship in 2019.

Finland will be joined by Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland. The Netherlands and Russia* also join after their top-two finishes at the Division C Championship held last November.

The top two teams from Division B will be promoted to the Division A Championships in 2019, where they will have the opportunity to secure a spot at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The bottom two teams will be relegated to Division C, with the Championship also taking place next year.

This is the third time Finland has hosted a European Championship. Previous events were held in Espoo in 2007 and in Lahti in 2015. The nation will look to return to Division A after finishing eighth in the 2017 edition.

*Editor's note: The International Paralympic Committee suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee on 7 August 2016 for its inability to fulfil its IPC membership responsibilities and obligations, in particular its obligation to comply with the IPC Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code (to which it is also a signatory). As a result of the suspension, Russian athletes cannot enter IPC sanctioned events or competitions, including the Paralympic Games. For further information please click here.