ParalympicsGB names Wheelchair Rugby squad for Paris 2024

ParalympicsGB has today announced the 12 Wheelchair Rugby athletes that will seek to defend their Paralympic title at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this summer.

The squad features an exciting mix of five Paralympic debutants named alongside an experienced line-up of players who have featured in multiple Paralympic Games, including seven athletes who made history by winning ParalympicsGB’s first ever gold in the sport at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Games.

The epic ParalympicsGB final victory over Team USA was the second most watched event of Tokyo 2020 on Channel 4.

Captained by Gavin Walker with the support of Vice-Captain Stuart Robinson, the selected athletes are: Jonathan Coggan, Nick Cummins, Kieran Flynn, Dan Kellett, Ollie Mangion, Aaron Phipps, David Ross, Jack Smith, Jamie Stead, and Tyler Walker.

Jonathan Coggan will be the most experienced Wheelchair Rugby athlete among those travelling to Paris to represent ParalympicsGB in two months’ time, having been selected for every Paralympic Games since he made his debut at Athens in 2004.

Paris 2024 will be Gavin Walker’s third Paralympic Games following Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 where he was integral to the team’s success as Vice-Captain.

Commenting on his selection, Gavin Walker said: “Selection is always an emotional time, and to be selected for my third Paralympics alongside such a talented group of athletes is very special. I’m always full of pride and value the privilege to represent ParalympicsGB. These are unique opportunities and as captain, I love to see younger athletes get the chance to experience it and perform on the world stage. We are full of confidence and aiming high to match our success in Tokyo. We are ready to go to Paris and put all our hard work into practice.”

2022 European silver medallist, Kieran Flynn will be joined by fellow Paralympic debutants Dan Kellett, Ollie Mangion, Tyler Walker and Northern Ireland’s David Ross, and the 32-year-old is excited about making his mark in Paris, commenting: “I am so honoured and proud to have been selected to represent Great Britain in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“I’m extremely grateful to all those who have supported me on my journey and I can’t wait to compete on the biggest stage, later this summer, where we’ll be giving it our all to come home with a gold medal.”

GB Wheelchair Rugby Head Coach, Paul Shaw, said: “Having just returned from a tournament in Canada with the top six ranked teams in the world, we are happy with the result we achieved. We have returned with a renewed vigour going into our final few camps before the Paralympics in August. We know we are going in as defending champions, and it will be hard to replicate the gold we won in Tokyo, but we will be going to Paris knowing we have prepared well to achieve our goals.”

Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission at Paris 2024, added: “I’m so proud to welcome our Wheelchair rugby squad to the ParalympicsGB team for Paris 2024. The team spirit and camaraderie that this group brings is a real asset to ParalympicsGB and I can’t wait to see them in action in Paris. The memories of that golden success at Tokyo 2020 still give me goose bumps, and I know every single athlete in this squad will give their all this summer as they look to defend that Paralympic title.”

Wheelchair rugby made its debut at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics which featured Great Britain alongside the world’s top teams. ParalympicsGB have gone on to qualify for every Paralympic Games since, with the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games a historic moment for the side as they defeated the USA in a nail biting final to win the gold medal.

A total of around 230 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the coming weeks.

At Tokyo 2020 ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports - the highest number of any nation ever. Paralympics GB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

ParalympicsGB Wheelchair Rugby squad

Jonathan Coggan, London Wheelchair Rugby Club

Nick Cummins, Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Club

Kieran Flynn, Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Club

Dan Kellett, West Coast Wheelchair Rugby Club

Ollie Mangion, London Wheelchair Rugby Club

Aaron Phipps, London Wheelchair Rugby Club

Stuart Robinson, West Coast Wheelchair Rugby Club

David Ross, London Wheelchair Rugby Club

Jack Smith, North East Bulls Wheelchair Rugby Club

Jamie Stead, Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Club

Gavin Walker, Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Club

Tyler Walker, Cheltenham Tigers