Steelers - Wheelchair Rugby

[kronic]

The opening ceremony for the Paralympics was this morning. Greg Smith from the Steelers (National Wheelchair Rugby team) was the flag bearer for the Aussie team:

This is the team for the games: http://www.london2012.com/paralympi.../mixed-open/teams/team=australia-wrx400aus01/ dominated by Queenslanders and Victorians.

First game is next Thursday morning against Canada, full draw: http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/wheelchair-rugby/schedule-and-results/index.html

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I fondly remember watching the Steelers at Sydney 2000 Paralympics.

These guys played with real passion. It is a brutal game with little quarter asked or given. Awesome to watch. Go the Steelers.

 

[Braveheart81]

Ryley Batt is our gun player. He is fantastic.

 

[Braveheart81]

Our first game is at 4am AEST tomorrow morning against Canada.

It should be on the main ABC channel for anyone that wants to record it.

 

[Moses]

Does anyone know enough about the sport to write up a preview for the blog?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Great first up performance from The Steelers against Canada. Final score was 64-52.

Good thing Foxtel IQ to record 4am TV.

Canada are no mugs but today they couldn't contain Ryley Batt who scored about 30 points.

Next up in pool B we play Sweden, tomorrow I think.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Ryley Batt is our gun player. He is fantastic.

Looked a class above against Canada.

 

[qwerty51]

I'm gunna sound like a dick here but does this sport have anything to do with rugby?

 

[Schadenfreude]

I'm gunna sound like a dick here but does this sport have anything to do with rugby?

http://bit.ly/NeX8ev

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Excusing the pun, the Steelers roll on. 60-47 victory over Sweden today.

Anyone questioning the physicality of Wheelchair Rugby just needs to watch one of the games.

This game is as tough, physical and passionate as any able bodied game of rugby. The ball isn't oval, but these guys don't have the physical ability to bend down and pick up an oval ball.

I have no problem with this game being considered part of the Rugby family.

I really like the player points system which is used to level the playing field. Player points are based on the disability of the player. The more disabled, the lower the points awarded to the player.

At any time on the oval, the team can only field a total of 8 points. Someone like Ryley Batt is designated a 4 point player. The Steelers coach then can only field a total of 4 points among the other 3 players on the team when Ryley playing. This keeps a good balance.

 

[qwerty51]

http://bit.ly/NeX8ev

From the wiki article

It has little in common with Rugby football except for the name.

 

[Moses]

It has little in common with Rugby football except for the name.

I reckon the physicality gives it a lot in common with Rugby.

 

[Braveheart81]

It is more like rugby than it is like other able bodied contact sports.

I think it is fair that it is called wheelchair rugby and that they didn't come up with a completely new name.

You have to get the ball from one end to the other to score.
You can tackle each other.
You're allowed to carry the ball.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

If you don't like it then don't watch it or don't contribute to this thread.

What do you want to see?

A bunch of wheelchair bound blokes packing down scrums at Twickenham with a Size 5 Gilbert ball?

Maybe you want to see some chip and chase kicks that get re-gathered and then a full length dive over in the corner to score a try?

What would a lineout look like in the version of wheelchair rugby that had lots in common with Rugby Football?

These are some fairly heavily disabled people that want to have a great time with their mates playing a semi-contact end-zone invasion sport that is wheelchair based.

I am not unhappy that they have chosen to associate the name of that sport with Heavensgame.

It aint a game for softies. I wouldn't want to meet a pack of them on the back streets of Kings Cross at 5am in the morning.

 

[Braveheart81]

Admit it though HJ... if they could connect their wheelchairs and form some sort of Voltron-like scrummaging unit it would be pretty cool.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^^

I'm sure that the players would love to do that sort of thing if they could.

For some blokes that have been pretty hard done by either genetically or by some sort of accident, they seem to have a very positive approach to dealing with the sh*t sandwich life may have served up to them.

Almost certain that if these blokes were able bodied, they would be stalwarts of Heavensgame.

 

[Braveheart81]

I can't help but think that Ryley Batt is almost the Michael Jordan of his sport.

He may have a fully functional spinal column but he only has two fingers and a thumb on each hand (and no legs).

Is he really the most able bodied in the sport (given his 3.5 rating) or is he just better than everyone else?

I think he is truly amazing. He absolutely dominates every game he is involved in.

He's a charismatic guy too. I heard an interview with him on the ABC and up until the age of 12 he got around on a skateboard as he didn't want to use a wheelchair. He only used a wheelchair after he went to the beach, hid his skateboard in the bushes and someone stole it.

He thanked that person in the interview for getting him into a wheelchair.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Ryley looks like the sort of fellow that if he was able bodied, with his aggression and absolute determination, he would have been an absolute top level professional sportsman in whatever code or format of sport (or business for that matter) he chose.

 

[kronic]

Btw. Forgot to mention we beat Canada yesterday morning, 64-52, and Sweden this morning 60-47.

Also, where's New Zealand in this competition?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The heavy weights in world Wheelchair Rugby are the US. AUS, CAN, & the Darkness typically fight over the minor placings.

The Rolling Darkness (has a nice ring to it doesn't it) do not have the same aura as the non rolling Darkness.

We are in Pool B with Canada. Without looking at the rest of the paralympic competition details, I would imagine that NZ and USA are in Pool A.

The Semis should be #1 Pool A vs #2 Pool B and vice versa, with the respective winners playing off for Gold, and losers in the Bronze playoff.