Ohio University students and Athens residents will soon park their rears in wheelchairs for a competitive set of wheeled rugby games.
This is the fifth year OU will hold a FourPlay! Quad Rugby tournament. The tournament is held by the physical therapy program in conjunction with the Ohio Buckeye Blitz, Ohio’s only semi-professional wheelchair rugby team.
“The tournament started out small and was hosted in a gym in Grover Center,” said Rachel Smith, a third-year graduate student studying physical therapy and the tournament’s fundraising co-chair and marketer. “Last year, we had the wonderful opportunity to play at Ping so that more public would be able to watch.”
More people became involved each year, Smith said; now, 28 teams participate.
The tournament was born five years ago when a student in the physical therapy program suffered a spinal cord injury and became interested in quadriplegic rugby as a way to return to sports, Smith said.
“The students got a few teams together, and the Blitz came down for our first tournament so the young man, the students and staff, and community members could learn more about the game and have a chance to play it,” she said. “They learned how much it costs to play the sport — over $4,000 per chair — and that insurance will not cover any of the costs.”
Now, the event organizers try to raise money for a new wheelchair each year.
Registration for the March 3 tournament continues until Friday and costs $100 to $120 for a team of four to six members; those participating receive T-shirts. A raffle will also be held. Each team gets to play the Blitz in a 30-minute game.
“You do not need to be a student or affiliated with OU in any way to participate or watch,” Smith said. “It is a great time and an excellent opportunity to meet these amazing athletes.”
Last year’s tournament helped raise more than $5,000 for Buckeye Blitz, and event organizers want to beat that record this year to pay for more equipment.
Lauren Carr, a third-year graduate student studying physical therapy, said she hopes this year’s tournament will spread awareness about wheelchair rugby.
“(The tournament founders) wanted mainly to break down barriers, but I think their main goal was to create an event with an even playing field, because the teams play in the actual wheelchairs — although every year, Buckeye Blitz kills every single team.”
