Wheelchair Rugby Stars Come to Nottingham

06 Aug 2009

Top Wheelchair Rugby teams from around the world are travelling to Nottingham, Great Britain, for the Trevor Williams Memorial Tournament, taking place from 7-9 August at the Nottingham Trent University Clifton Campus.

Paralympic bronze medalist Canada will join the Nottingham-based East Midlands Marauders, as well as the teams from Ireland, Sweden, the Newcastle Bulls, London and the Giants in the three-day tournament.

The event will see 20 highly competitive games fought between the different teams, with the opening game between hosts the East Midlands Marauders and the Giants.

The Trevor Williams Memorial Tournament, which is held every two years in memory of the East Midlands Marauders coach, is the perfect event for both seasoned Wheelchair Rugby fans and people new to the sport.

The East Midlands Marauders will be keen to build on their success at the recent Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby National Championships. They claimed the silver medal, narrowly losing to the Kent Crusaders in the final.

James Price, Great Britain’s Wheelchair Rugby Development Director and team member of the East Midlands Marauders, said:

"We have been hosting this tournament since 2000 and it continues to go from strength to strength. Trevor Williams was and still is an inspiration to many Wheelchair Rugby players and my team will be working hard to lift the trophy in his memory.”

"We hope this tournament further raises awareness of Wheelchair Rugby and helps us to build an avid fan-base in preparation for the London 2012 Paralympic Games", he added.

Developed in Canada during the 1970s, Wheelchair Rugby provides a fantastic form of rehabilitation after spinal injury. Originally called 'Murderball', it does not surprise spectators watching the sport to understand why. With fast play and hard tackles, Wheelchair Rugby is a full contact sport and is a favourite with spectators.