Wheelchair Rugby

Eligible Impairments: athetosis, ataxia, hypertonia, impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of motion, limb deficiency.

Description: wheelchair rugby is a mixed team sport for athletes with physical impairment that impacts at least three limbs and the trunk. As a mixed team sport men and women compete in the same teams. There are seven Sport Classes, all of which are numbered according to the point score the player contributes to the team’s on-court total. Of the four players allowed on-court at any time the total point score cannot exceed 8. Therefore, there will always be a mixture of athletes with lower and higher levels of impairment playing at the same time. The exception is that for every female that a team has on court, the total team allowance is increased by 0.5.

Sport Class structure: 

• 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5: athletes are classified according to the extent that their impairment impacts on their ability to perform activities that are fundamental to the sport such as manoeuvring their wheelchair, passing, catching and blocking. Athletes with Sport Class 0.5 have the greatest level of impairment, and 3.5 the lowest.