City Workers Beat Rugby Stars in Great British Wheelchair Rugby Tournament
Howard Lake | 11 June 2008 | News
Last weekend saw Kyran Bracken ditch his ice skates in favour of Wheelchair Rugby as he joined Glen Jackson and Kevin Sorrell at a “Corporate Demolition Day” involving teams from some of the UK’s best known companies.
Organised by Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) with the aim of raising funds and awareness of the paralympic sport, the mini tournament made a popular, metal-clashing change to the traditional team-building corporate day out.
Following an exciting demonstration by the Great Britain paralympic team, city workers from Barclays Global Investors, Citibank, Mayer Brown, NPower and Leisure Connection played five games over the course of the afternoon. This included a game against the able-bodied Rugby stars.
Barclays Global Investors made it through to the final against Kyran Bracken’s team and managed to win the day by scoring a nail-biting goal in the last second of the game. You couldn’t have scripted a more entertaining result!
James Price, GBWR Development Director, comments: “Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, fun and tactical sport that’s enjoyable for both spectators and players. And, in terms of the UK league and Great Britain’s disabled players, it also provides a fantastic form of rehabilitation after spinal injury. Indeed, for those with lifetime disabilities it offers a great way to live a better and fuller life through sport.”
James continues: “Raising awareness is a massive challenge. However, we work closely with rugby union, and thought what better way to help people gain an appreciation of wheelchair rugby than to get able bodied rugby stars to take a beating from corporate workers in the city?! The event was a fantastic success with all involved saying just how much fun and hard work the sport is. In fact, Kyran Bracken even said he would like to do the event again but make it even bigger next time!”
Not only a success in terms of creating new supporters of Wheelchair Rugby, the Corporate Demolition Day also helped to raise almost £18,000 which will go towards specially constructed Wheelchair Rugby chairs, training weekends and other GBWR activities.
To find out more about GBWR or to donate money to help support this fantastic rehabilitating sport, please visit www.gbwr.co.uk.
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For further information or to arrange an interview with key spokespeople please contact:
Katie Gauden at Voice Communications on
01621 890230 or email ka***@vo*****************.uk
Notes to editors:
< Corporate teams were from Barclays Global Investors, Citibank, MayerBrown, NPower and Leisure Connection.
< Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) is a 20-year-old not-for-profit registered charity representing the sport across the UK and Great Britain on the world stage.
< The charity aims to develop a fully-inclusive sport enabling players to achieve and reach their full potential regardless of financial status or disability.
< Wheelchair rugby is a unisex Paralympic sport. It’s a fast-paced, yet tactical game, played on a basketball court with a round ball. Individuals with lower and upper limb disability play in specially constructed custom-fitted wheelchairs.
< Wheelchairs cost £3,000 each; donations go towards new chairs, engaging new players, training weekends, demonstrations and, hopefully, medals in 2012.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.