England edge out France to win Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup
I think wheelchair rugby’s a great idea.
But I end up thinking there’s a certain absurdity to carrying over the league/union distinction into it…….
Given the wide spread of interests among readers here, anyone actually know what the rule differences are between w/chair/union and w/chair/league? And why are they specifically to do with those two code origins?
And we’re looking for something more than a northern proles against southern shandy drinking toffs difference.
One thing i notice watching it- all the wheels have spokes, which given how often they topple over and end up on the ground is just asking for a disabled hand.IMO.
I was actually at the game!! We were a little stumped as to how wheelchair Union would work as the ‘tackles’ in League act as a break in the play that you wouldn’t get in Union! Have to say it was thoroughly enjoyable – will do some research into the differences!
Maybe one is for the generally disabled and the other only for rugby injuries.
Better than dwarf tossing? Or is it spun as not laughing at life’s unfortunates?
@HB From the peeps I (have) know(n) that are tied to a wheelchair and do various sports in them:
Disc type wheels for speed. Spoke type wheels for Tricks and Shenanigans.
Spokes allow for many-many types of different leverage, making the risk to hand/fingers an afterthought.
I’ve never seen wheelchair rugby but saw wheelchair basketball game in Riga once. Entertaining, you’d be knackered at the end of it, plenty of skill. Mixed sex.
A merely average abled rugby player could identify as wheelchair-bound and run rings ’round this lot.
You joke PJF but there’s already a case of someone identifying as trans-abled or whatever the term is
Well, technically there isn’t wheelchair rugby union as such. There’s wheelchair rugby, which is a mish-mash of rules/themes from several sports and which bears little resemblance to rugby – when first developed it was called ‘murderball’ – and there’s wheelchair rugby league which does it’s best to be like rugby league. Players have tags attached by velcro to their shoulders and a ‘tackle’ is effected by pulling off a tag. Tries are scored, kicks by hand punching the ball.no scrums, obviously.