Sample Wheelchair Rugby League- David Gent
July 4, 2012
Hull’s Bonus Arena is hosting the first ever Wheelchair Rugby League 4 Nations tournament this weekend which gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase the sport to a wider audience and there’s even the opportunity for interested spectators to have a go.
The sport is exciting to watch and play with some big collisions and if you’ve never seen Wheelchair Rugby League it is very similar in structure to the 13-a-side code and just as fast.
Entry is free for the round-robin tournament which involves England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with a Try it session on Saturday between 12 and 1.
Matches and joint training sessions will take place between 11 and 5 on Saturday and between 10 and 1.30 on Sunday providing many opportunities to catch the action.
We have organised this tournament as part of the preparations for the 2013 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup and with the joint training sessions and games the focus is on developing the participants and preparing them for next year’s competition.
Wheelchair Rugby League is quite unique as it offers both disabled and non-disabled players of both sexes the opportunity to compete both with and against each other on a level playing field.
Everyone is welcome to come down and watch the action or have a go.
If you’re new to the sport here are a few key points:
• There are five players on each side
• The object of the game is to score tries
• Conversions are scored by punching the ball over the mini-posts from a tee
• Tackles are made in the same way as Tag Rugby by pulling off the attached tag
• Five tackles are followed by the handing over of possession
• Offside, knock-on and in-touch apply just like in the full version of the game
The tournament takes place at the Bonus Arena, Hull, HU3 6GA.
About David Gent:
David Gent is the RFL’s Director of Participation and leads the RFL Community Development team.
He has worked in sports development and management at Local Government, Sport England and Sports NGBs at a senior level and has wide experience of sports governance.
David has been the driving force behind the switch of Rugby League’s community game to a predominantly summer-based season which heralds a fantastically bright future for the sport.
He is also the team manager of a junior team at Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC and is involved in grassroots Rugby League week in, week out.
David Gent’s 
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