Wheelchair Rugby Event Highlights Inclusive Sports

On December 3rd, the Accessibility Advisory Committee held a wheelchair rugby match at l’École secondaire catholique d’Embrun to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day is about raising awareness and promoting the rights and well-being of people with disabilities.

Four members of the Ottawa Stingers Wheelchair Rugby team joined the event. They explained the rules of the game to students in the sports-study program and invited them to play a friendly match of this hard-hitting sport. The students discovered just how exciting and challenging this sport is, while also seeing how it embodies inclusivity by offering everyone the chance to participate in sports, regardless of physical ability.

Councillors Marc Lalonde and Lisa Deacon also joined in, along with Principal Yanick Barrette and gym teacher Pierre Théorêt. Patrice Dagenais, a player for the Ottawa Stingers and member of the Accessibility Advisory Committee, is a former student of the school. Patrice shares, “On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, it's important for us to promote accessibility and raise awareness of parasports in our Township. This event has already taken place on several occasions, at different schools in our region over the past few years. It's a great opportunity to demonstrate the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities, and to create visibility for the Accessibility Advisory Committee. Students have the chance to have fun while experiencing a popular Paralympic sport, wheelchair rugby.”

“I am grateful for the hard work and enthusiasm of the members of our Township's Accessibility Advisory Committee and to it's Vice-Chair Patrice Dagenais for organizing a wheelchair rugby match in collaboration with École secondaire catholique Embrun. Another exciting event to promote accessible sport for our youth and adults with physical disabilities,” shared Councillor Marc Lalonde, Chair of the Accessibility Advisory Committee.

What is Wheelchair Rugby?

Wheelchair rugby, originally known as murderball, was invented in 1976 in Winnipeg. It is a full-contact sport combining elements of basketball, handball and ice hockey. Today, it is played in 40 countries and counting. To learn more on this sport, view this video.

It is a rough and rumbling sport. Most players have quadriplegia. It is played on a basketball court and the objective is to fully cross the opponent’s goal line for a point. It is packed with non-stop action with passing, ball carrying and, of course, wheelchairs crashing into each other. This sport is not for the faint of heart, hence its original name of murderball!