2010WWRC Press Release

All twelve teams have now qualified for the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships which will be held at the Richmond Oval September 17-26, 2010.

From the Americas zone, Canada, the host, will compete alongside the United States and first time qualifier, Argentina. Qualifying from the Asia Oceania zone is Australia, New Zealand and Japan. And from the European zone, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, Poland and Finland will battle it out for rugby supremacy.

The tournament will attract over 400 athletes, coaches, officials, delegates and volunteers. Competition will take place on the hardwood ball courts in the centre of the Oval. Two major wheelchair rugby events at the Oval in the spring of 2009 – the Vancouver Invitational and the Canadian Championships – tested the facilities and all gave the hosts two thumbs up.

The United States will be the team to beat in 2010. They are the reigning world champions after defeating New Zealand 34-30 at the 2006 World Championships in Christchurch, NZ while Canada took the bronze with a 23-19 win over Great Britain. Canada is the only team to have defeated the US doing so at the World Championships in Sweden where they won the gold medal and in Athens where Canada defeated the US on their way to winning the silver medal at the 2004 Paralympic Games.

Argentina is very much a developmental team but shows great promise, defeating Brazil to earn the third qualifying spot in the Americas Zone along with Canada and the United States. Japan has made steady improvement in the lead up to the tournament and Belgium is back in the fold after a bit of a hiatus.

Australia holds the key to victory riding on the back of superstar Ryley Batt who had his coming out party at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

2010 will be a busy time for British Columbia and the sport of wheelchair rugby will be the sport to showcase as we change our focus from winter to summer Paralympians.