Quad or Wheelchair Rugby

Quad Rugby, or Wheelchair Rugby as it is also called, is a sport with roots going back to wheelchair basketball and ice hockey, which is not surprising, since it was developed by three Canadians from Winnipeg, Manitoba as a quadriplegic equivalent to wheelchair basketball. Most quadriplegics are outmatched in basketball due to their low level of function. The sport was originally called Murderball due to the aggressive nature of the game. It was introduced in the United States in 1981 by Brad Mikkelsen, who with the aid of the University of North Dakota's Disabled Student Service's, formed the first wheelchair rugby team, the Wallbangers, and changed the game's name from Murderball to Quad Rugby.




Quad or Wheelchair Rugby

In 1979, a team from Winnipeg organized an exhibition at the regional track meet held at Southwest State University in Minnesota. Canada went on to play their first national championship that same year. The first quad rugby match in the US was between North Dakota and Minnesota, as an exhibition game at the 1982 National Wheelchair games, also held at Southwest State University. That same year, the University of South Dakota hosted the first international wheelchair rugby tournament, with participating teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Since then quad rugby has adapted not only its equipment, but also its rules to make the sport faster, more competitive, and marketable.

In 1988, the United States Quad Rugby Association (USQRA) was formed to help regulate and promote the sport on both a national and international level. Philadelphia's own Tom Hammil is the commissioner of the USQRA. Since its introduction, Quad Rugby has grown to become a truly international sport, with teams now competing from around the globe. There are now over forty-five organized wheelchair rugby teams in the United States with many others in the developmental stage. In 2005, MTV films released a film entitled "Murderball" which increased the sports awareness not only in the disabled community, but for the general population as well. In addition to the teams in the US, there is estimated to be at least twenty international teams from as far away as Australia in addition to those in Canada. Quad rugby now has World Championships and is in the Olympics as well. The United States is the defending World and Olympic champions. Without question, Wheelchair rugby is the fastest growing wheelchair sport in the world today.

Some pictures by Peter Marney