Wheelchair rugby showdown comes to Warsaw

photo: www.metrocup.sson.pl

Eight teams will be fighting it out at the capital's Ursynow Arena, with Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany and of course Poland taking part.

Two cross-national teams, the All Stars and the European Giants, will also be trying their luck.

Entrance is free of charge, with the event created thanks to cooperation between the City of Warsaw, the Association for People with Disabilities and the Warsaw Metro.

Wheelchair rugby combines elements of rugby, basketball and handball, and is played by four-man teams.

Players ride in specially designed wheelchairs, and besides travelling with a trainer and a physio, teams must also employ a mechanic, owing to the rough and tumble of the sport.

As the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation underlines, contact between wheelchairs is not only permitted, it is actively encouraged, with players using their chairs to block and hold opponents.

After Poland's overall success at the London Paralympics this summer (the country came home with 36 medals) it's hoped that sports such as wheelchair rubgy will generate wider interest.

The Wheelchair Rugby Metro Cup runs from 6 to 7 October. (nh)