Alan Caron – "A lot of the players are Paralympic athletes"Team manager for Wolverhampton Rhinos Rugby and Basketball teams "I set up a wheelchair basketball team called the Wolverhampton Rhinos a few years ago, and we have just been promoted into Division One which is the highest league in this country so we're really, really pleased. "I've always been interested in rugby: it's a game I enjoy playing so I decided to set up a wheelchair rugby team under the umbrella name of the Wolverhampton Rhinos, which I did in 2005. "Most of the team were originally in a team called the Birmingham Bandits – and a lot of them have played for the Great Britain team.
 | | Alan Caron, Rhino's team manager |
"We're delighted to have won the league this year – particularly because this is our first year as playing as the Wolverhampton Rhinos Wheelchair rugby team. "Some players play both basketball and rugby. Sport really gives the players a great sense of self-esteem. Rugby is usually played by people who have high neck breaks (quadriplegics – disability in up to all four limbs) and amputees (for example quad amputees). Basketball is usually played by paraplegics (disability in the legs), amputees and able-bodied people can also play. "If anyone wants to come down and see us train to have a chat about joining in, visit the website or email me on: Alrhinos@aol.com" Mark Fosbrook (Fos) – "You need to see wheelchair rugby – it's faster, more intense and more addictive to watch than anything else"GB Wheelchair Rugby technical co-ordinatorPlayer on GB Elite squadPlayer on Wolverhampton Rhinos basketball and rugby teams "I had no knowledge of wheelchair sport until I was 12 – before then I was running around on artificial legs playing hockey and other sports with able-bodied kids.
 | | Mark Fosbrook, Wolverhampton Rhino |
"I started playing wheelchair basketball when I was 12 and played until I was 16, when I moved onto (standing) volleyball. I played in the Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996. I also hold two National Records for swimming. "I decided to take up basketball again – I've been with the Wolverhampton Rhinos for around five months now and we've not lost a game yet. "I've been playing wheelchair rugby for about three years now. It's funny – I was never that keen on it but I thought I should learn how to play as at the time I was teaching 16+ year olds at the National Star College in Cheltenham (a college for those with physical disability and acquired brain impairment) and it turned out that I really enjoyed it. "I played at the 2003 Wheelchair Games when I was classified out – which means I have been classified as above a 3.5 and can't play internationally. It's frustrating, but the issue is being sorted at the moment so hopefully I will be able to play again soon. "After December 2005 I quit my job to train full time and I am now the GB Wheelchair Rugby technical co-ordinator – which means I deal with things like the logistics of organising the GB Elite squad, and we recently implemented a professional Code of Conduct for all players in the Elite team. "You need to see wheelchair rugby – it's faster, more intense and more addictive to watch than anything else. It really gives you an appreciation of the level of disability that some of these players have – and what they go through to be so good is truly phenomenal." Josie Pearson – "The blokes don't bat an eyelid that you're a girl – they take no prisoners when they're trying to get the ball!"Plays for Cardiff Pirates "I've been playing since November 2005 – I picked up the basics pretty quickly. I'm still pretty new to the game and feel confused and nervous half the time but I love it! It's a real adrenaline rush.
 | | Josie Pearson, Cardiff Pirate |
"I think it's a brilliant sport – I went to one training session and fell in love with it. The guys were really welcoming and I never felt singled out just because I am a girl. In fact we need more girls to play as there's only a handful of us - because of the classification system the sport is unisex which is great. "It's a full-on sport and it takes a while to develop court awareness and get enough experience to be fully involved in games. Going to these tournaments is great – you get loads of tips from other players which is really useful. "I like the fact that wheelchair rugby is a mixed sport – it brings a different feel to the game. The blokes don't bat an eyelid that you're a girl – they take no prisoners when they're trying to get the ball! The sport is growing phenomenally fast but we still need more girls and more publicity – come along and see a game!" James Price – "We promote wheelchair sports to help people enjoy more of life"GB Development Team Manager "At the GB Development team we're responsible for finding areas of the country which need new teams, finding new players and organising demonstration weekends which are all about encouraging people to have a go.
 | | James Price, GB Development Team manager |
"I've been playing rugby since 2001 on the GB Elite Long (reserve) squad and I was captain of the Development team. The Development team will be much more integral to the GB Elite team from 2007 – all players will have to go through the Development team before they can have an Elite trial. "We have two potential new teams to be added in the next year – we're looking to add one in North Wales and we want to help Scotland rebuild their team. After that we want to add a further two teams in 2008. "We promote wheelchair sports to help people have a more fulfilling life through sport – the physical aspect of it and especially the social side – it's great." Richard Vowles – "We want to show that disabled people can inspire"Welsh Wheelchair Rugby AssociationPlays for Cardiff PiratesWorking with the Welsh Disability Federation to create a North Wales team "Wheelchair Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the UK – as soon as people see it they love it – it's so action packed. "I've been playing for two or three years now – I used to be a professional boxer and play rugby – incidentally that's how I became disabled. Discovering wheelchair rugby gave me a new lease of life.
 | | Richard Vowles, Welsh Wheelchair Rugby |
"Playing increases your strength which makes life so much easier – even with little things like getting in and out of the car. It helps your social life as you meet so many people in the same situation as you – which also increases your confidence. Everything about the sport makes your life easier and more enjoyable." Andy Barrow – "In my career I want a medal in the Paralympics and to be a Gold medallist in London 2012 would be an absolute dream"Captain of GB Elite team "I've been playing wheelchair rugby since 1998, in the London team. I made the A Squad within a year (the forerunner to the development squad). My first international tournament was in 2002 and I played a season in San Diego after that. I was part of the winning team in the Europa Cup in 2003 and we came 4th in Athens 2004. I then took over the captaincy of the GB Elite team in 2005. "It's fantastic to be the Captain of the GB squad - a huge part of that is the ambassadorial role I play off court. In my career I want a medal in the Paralympics and to be a Gold medallist in London 2012 would be an absolute dream. I want to make the sport bigger throughout the country and develop our teams more.
 | | Andy Barrow, GB Elite captain |
"We've got some sponsorship at the moment from Coloplast (they sponsor our main league) and some money from the lottery (via UK Sport) – but we need to get more people recognising this great game and getting involved." Gerard Smith and Sarah Leighton – "It's funny – people want to be classified as a worse player than they actually are…"Classifiers "We are the panel that decide what point a player should be classified as – from a 0.5 up to a 3.5. "We do this in three ways: (1) The bench test: this is where we test the player's muscle groups; (2) Functional observations: How does the player push their chair? How do they stop and turn?(3) On court play: We watch them on court to see how they perform in areas (1) and (2).We then determine the player's class, have a chat with them and their coach. A player can be reclassified if need be at future dates.
 | | Classifiers Gerard and Sarah |
"By profession we are physiotherapists but we do this voluntarily on the side. It's something Occupational Therapists or rehab doctors could do. It's great fun – you learn from other classifiers what to look for and how to classify players. "It's funny – people want to be classified as a worse player than they are so that the team can have a better player on court for less points… ha ha... but we don't let them get away with it! "At the moment there are only three of us in the UK! More people should get involved – it's an interesting, challenging and great sport." | 
