By Sean Boyle

Caledonian Crushers Wheelchair Rugby Club is based in Glasgow with players from all over Scotland as they are the only team in the country, they were established in 2010.

The Caledonian Crushers made their competitive debut at the GBWR Championships in 2012 against teams from all over the UK.

The club’s aim is to get as many people as possible to get involved with Wheelchair rugby in Scotland. The Caledonian Crushers are encouraging anyone interested in volunteering and players of all levels, regardless of their experience or disabilities.

But how did some of the current players find out about wheelchair rugby you might be asking yourself, and how did they get started?

well Jennifer Lang says that she found out about the sport ‘through the 2012 Paralympics.’

She said:

“Well I’ve always liked what I like to call it, running rugby, so I’ve always went to games at Murrayfield and whatnot, but Wheelchair rugby I only really heard about through the 2012 Paralympics, I thought it was awesome but I didn’t really know much about it and then I started playing, that’s kind of where I kind of learned more and got more into it.”

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Sometimes people struggle to find that sport that they really connect to and enjoy.

Ross Doherty who has been taking part in Wheelchair rugby for a year stated that he ‘tried a lot of wheelchair sports but none of them resonated’ with himself.

He said:

“I tried a lot of Wheelchair sports but I never really resonated with it.”

” So I’ve been doing this for a year now and it’s been really beneficial.”

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Of one of the biggest issues of getting people into sports like Wheelchair rugby is that they get a lack of media attention compared to other sports.

Elliot Cooper stated that there has been improvements made but ‘there are still ways to go.’

He said:

“Well the sport has only been around since the 1990s and it’s only been here I think for 17 or 20 years, something like that.”

“I think it’s a better representation in general in the media but there’s still some ways to go, and actually getting players to take part and getting disabled people in Scotland and in general to understand Wheelchair rugby is a sport they can access.”

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And There is also the human element which is very important to highlight, meaning that clubs like this are a great way for me to mix and socialise around people that have a similar interest to you.

It is a possibility that you may go through your younger life without people who have similar interests or have a disability.

Chris Demeter is a great example of this as he talked how he didn’t know any people on wheelchairs when he was in high school and that he ‘didn’t realise’ he missed being in a community with other people who use wheelchairs.

He said:

“Socialising with other people who have similar experiences is something a lot of people maybe don’t think about, it is absolutely possible to go through your life living in certain parts of Scotland and never meet another disabled person with the same disability as you.”

“I grew up in a place in Dumfries and Galloway where, sure there were other disabled people but I was the only wheelchair user in my high school, so there is something about that community that I didn’t realise that I’d missed.”

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If you want to find out more please visit their website. https://www.caledoniancrushers.co.uk/

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