London 2012 Paralympics: Broken fingers, bloody noses ... the brutal sport they call murderball

 
P8-9 Steve Brown
5 September 2012

The aggressive sport of wheelchair rugby — known as “murderball” — is set to be a jaw-dropping highlight of the Paralympics.

The more-violent hybrid of rugby and American football sees competitors tipped out of their chairs and at risk of serious injury as they deliberately try to “damage” their opponents.

“I’m sure wheelchair rugby will be quite shocking for a lot of people, but it’s one of the most exciting sports in terms of action and speed on the court,” said Great Britain captain Steve Brown.

“A lot of people will be surprised to see the players smashing each other out of their chairs.”

Matches were starting today, with Britain taking on the US, who are current Paralympic champions.

Brown, 31, discovered the sport during rehab at Stoke Mandeville Hospital after breaking his neck in a fall from a balcony in 2005, while working as an area manager for a holiday company in Germany.

The fall robbed the former skydiver and windsurfer, from Sittingbourne, of movement in two thirds of his body.

“I was trying everything I could to stay in my chair and was watching this game where people were trying everything possible to knock each other out of their chairs,” he said. “I didn’t want to wrap myself up in cotton wool and be in a safe environment — so it was a real turning point.”

In 2009, Brown ended up in intensive care with a broken sternum, bruised heart and broken ribs after being hit by two rivals during a match against Germany.

He drove home after the match, not realising how badly injured he was, but spent three days in hospital after waking up black and blue next day.

Players use £5,000 customised aluminium wheelchairs that often need running repairs during matches because of the ferocity of the collisions. “There are lots of rugby rules in the game, but there are also elements of hockey and basketball,” Brown said.

“There’s a lot of aggression built into the sport. You’re going out there to cause damage to other players’ equipment and the players themselves. We get a lot of busted fingers, and noses on occasion.”

The only female ParalympicsGB player — and one of only two women participants in the wheelchair rugby contest — is Kylie Grimes of the Kent Crusaders, a team-mate of Brown.

Two styles of heavily modified aluminium wheelchairs are used, one offensive, the other defensive. The defensive models have a wedge to get under opponents’ chairs and tip players on to the floor.

Other features include a front bumper, an anti-tip device and spoke protectors. A team of technicians stands by with spare parts to keep the action flowing.

Brown’s parents Paul and Christine and brothers Darren, 28, Stuart, 23, and Dean, 22 were there to cheer him on today, with, said Darren, the “wheelchair rugby WAGs”.

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