02/12/2025
Todays World Disability day, an opportunity to shine a light on the epic athletes apart of the - New Zealand’s Wheelchair rugby team and our very own Physio Megan who’s been working closely with the team over the past year.
Originally known as murderball, wheelchair rugby has developed over time to become a fast-paced contact sport. The Wheel Blacks won Bronze and Gold at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games, respectively. The team is currently working towards qualifying for the 2026 world champs in Brazil, and the LA 2028 Paralympic Games. They recently returned from Thailand, finishing 3rd at the Asia-Oceania Championship.
To be eligible to play, athletes need to have a disability that impairs function in 3 out of 4 limbs. Common conditions included cervical spinal cord injury, congenital limb deficiency, amputation, and neurological disorders such as Cerebral Palsy or Charcot-Marie-Tooth. Athletes are classified based on their level of function, ranging from 0.5-3.5. If you’ve ever watched a game, you may have seen these numbers on the back of their chairs. 4 athletes are on the court at a time, with a maximum of 8 points on the court. It is a mixed gender sport, with females playing at up to 1 point lower than their classification to help account for strength differences, especially between higher function male and females.
Megan has worked with the team this year as both the physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach. Megan states “The team hasn’t had a physio or S&C until now, so it’s been a busy year building those roles from scratch but I’ve loved it. The culture within the team is unmatched and makes it such an enjoyable team to be apart of. I’m proud of our progress over the year and I can’t wait for the growth to continue”.
We’re proud to support this team, and proud of our Physio Megan, who been alongside them during this campaign supporting the squad to keep their bodies performing at their best 🦾🖤🌿🤍
