Our Story
Wheelchair Rugby Association Singapore is a registered society. Our mission is to lead, promote and grow a vibrant and inclusive wheelchair rugby community. We want everyone who is involved, players, volunteers, officials, to love everything about the sport.
What is Wheelchair Rugby
Wheelchair rugby is a popular and robust game, with clear rules. It is a mixed team sport for male and female wheelchair users, many of whom have spinal cord injuries, quadriplegia or paraplegia, neurological conditions, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or amputations.
The aim is for players to carry the ball across the line of their opponents. Players use their wheelchairs to block opposing players and prevent them from scoring. It is a sport where chair contact and collisions are very much part of the game.
What Equipment is Needed
​​​​​​​Athletes compete in manual wheelchairs that are specifically built for the sport. The rules include detailed specifications for wheelchairs to ensure safety and fairness. In an international competition, there is strict adherence for all wheelchairs to meet these requirements. The game is played with a white ball, similar to a volleyball. Four cones, pylons, or markers are used to mark the goal lines. A game clock is also required; any clock used for basketball, handball, or other similar sports is usually sufficient.
Who Can Play
The level of disability of a player in international wheelchair rugby has seven different classifications ranging from 0.5 to 3.5, with the lower the number the greater the level of physical restriction. Teams of four cannot have an overall classification higher than 8.0.
Players with a classification of 0.5 tend to be defenders or ‘blockers’, while those with the highest classification are more inclined to be playmakers suited to a more dynamic role. Teams are mixed, made up of both men and women. For each female player on the court, an additional half-point is allowed.
Did You Know
Wheelchairs used by attacking players are shorter with small bumpers and rounded wings so that they can turn and maneuver in tight spaces. Defensive wheelchairs are longer and have a wide bumper at the front designed to strike and hold opposing players.
