WEST COUNTRY Hawks Wheelchair Rugby Club coach Adam Simmons is hoping the club’s success might inspire more people to try the exciting Paralympic sport.
The Hawks were crowned national champions for the first time in their history at the Plymouth Life Centre on Sunday.
They ended their campaign unbeaten and now have a number of players earning international call-ups.
“We’ve had a really strong year,” said Simmons. “Going undefeated is fantastic.
“It is a great feeling to finally win this division.
“The players we have now are transitioning into the GB, which is fantastic.”
The Hawks were founded in Plymouth in 2011 by the late Chris Perkins and the club has grown over the years and can now say they are the best in the country.
On what he puts their success down to, Simmons said: “When we started with Chris we had this core group of players who have grown up with the club over a long period of time. Faye (West) joined when she was 14, but now players like that are getting to the pinnacle of what they can do on court.
“I also think it is the family mentality of the club.”
Most of the team are based in or around Plymouth and the club would love more people to have a go at the sport.
“We are always looking for players, like the next Faye or Luke, but also just recreational players as we are a recreational club at heart,” said Simmons.
“We have players whose ambition isn’t to go all the way up to GB, but just want to play, which is really important to the club.”
He added: “It is one of the fastest-growing Paralympic sports. It is always a sell-out at the Paralympics and in this country we have just started growing momentum.
“We had a big push after 2012 and starting to stream games and getting tournaments down here (in Plymouth) is massive because it brings people in and engages the general public. More exposure can only be good for the sport.”
Anyone with a permanent physical disability who is unable to play running rugby is able to play wheelchair rugby 5s. However, to be eligible to play the Paralympic discipline of wheelchair rugby, athletes must have an impairment which affects their arms and legs.
Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the club via their website HERE.