posted Sep 17, 2008

As a paralympic swim coach in Barcelona 92 and Atlanta 96 where TV coverage was perhaps a couple of hours now and again during the games to the fabulous BBC coverage this year finally tells me the Paralympics have come of age. I remember a conversation in the swimming pool in Atlanta with the sadly missed Helen Rollason who was covering the games for the BBC and she said in time to come the games would get the coverage it so rightly deserves. What a true prediction she made. Well done to every member of the team. Lets prepare for 2012

Steve Rafferty

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posted Sep 23, 2008

sorry hannah you are right i am wrong .how stupid am i to think that a sport that encourages people to use the chairs as battering rams is not a GOOD THING!

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posted Sep 23, 2008

God, are you still here six days later?
Err, what's the difference between "encouraging" people to use shoulders and heads as "battering rams" as in conventional rugby? Or should people in wheelchairs sit in parks with rugs over their knees, biting their lips in pain and being brave?

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posted Sep 23, 2008

yes still here nd enjoying your pious rant. did you not count the number of times when people were sent to the sin bin for illegl tackles did you not count the no of times wheels had to be re-fitted etc. tell me this was a sport , similar to basketball and wheelchair athletics - and i tell you to take another look at it. and cut the nonsense in your last sentence i thought you were intelligent , and would avoid such simplistic comments . oh, i'd only just got round to reading your comment today and thought that you would enjoy the company.

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posted Sep 25, 2008

Hi Ricky...oh yes, am too enjoying your company and how lovely to chat .
I'm not being "pious", I'm just trying to be objective. One of my points is, is that a certain amount of inventiveness has to take place. Obviously wheelchair rugby is a made-up sport, and there is ramming, punctures and all the things you mention going on. But if the participants don't care, why do you? A lot of the guys who play it were formally fit and active young men who played physical contact sports. However spinal injuries (that seems to be a feature of a lot of the guys) mean they no longer can, and clearly they're very keen indeed to get back into a contact sport. In normal rugby, you frequently have sins bins, blood bins, stretchers off etc etc. So what's the theoretical difference between a running repair to a body, and one to a chair? Scrums, rucks, mauls etc will result in these things, so why should wheelchair rugby be any different?
Another point is, that able-bods have lots of choice in the sports they play. If someone is into rugby rather than basketball or athletics and the choice is there, then they should take it. Again, the more choice the better.

And I'm not "ranting", I'm arguing. Ok?

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posted Sep 25, 2008

Just having a giggle at your comments Hannah.

How many of these paralympians in rubgy, played able-bodied rugby only the have their neck broken!

To me this is the pinnicle of competing in the sport they loved, Long may they continue.

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posted Sep 25, 2008

Agreed. Long may they.

Spinal injuries doesn't just mean broken necks.

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posted Sep 25, 2008

I know, I have a few rugby friends who have broken their backs and necks.

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posted Sep 25, 2008

fair points hannah. i suppose it is me who has to make the adjustment . it is just that i do find wheelchair basketball much more fluid and competitive - and i actually dislike basketball as a sport! you are correct - if blokes who loved contact sports can find such an oulet in disabled sports then that can only be a good thing. nice to chat. take care.

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posted Sep 25, 2008

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