Able2Do Anything: Sports

The rules to Wheelchair Rugby World Cup

wheelchair rugby players

England scored a victory over Australia on the first day of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, which took place yesterday, 3 November, at Copper Box Arena in London.

For the first time in its history the Wheelchair World Cup is being played during Rugby League World Cup gaining new fans and spectators, boosted by the fact competitions are being broadcast on the BBC.

If you watched last night’s match, where England scored 38-8 over Australia, but came a bit unstuck trying to follow the rules - here’s everything you need to know.

Wheelchair Rugby is pretty similar to Rugby League, but there are a few changes - apart from all players scrambling around in chairs!

The game is  a five-a-side competition taking place on an indoor court measuring approximately 46m x 20m.

Just like the Rugby League, wheelchair games last 80 minutes with two halves, but half-time is just five minutes.

Pointing is again similar to Rugby League, players score four points for a try, two points for a successful conversion and one point if they score a drop goal.

But instead of using feet, wheelchair players punch the ball through indoor posts, which stand at a minimum of four metres high, three metres wide with the crossbar at two metres tall.

A size 4 rugby ball is in play and a game consists of sets of six tackles, the same as Rugby League.

Each player wears tags on their shoulders, tackles are scored by an opponent whipping them off. In wheelchair rugby the play-the-ball is operated by touching the ball on the ground before being passed to a teammate, defending players must retire four metres to avoid being penalised for offside.

Wheelchair rugby league is open to disabled and non-disabled players, but only two non-disabled players per team can be in play at one time.

Wales v USA in the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup is televised live on BBC Two, Monday 7 November at 7.20pm.

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