Bristol Rugby Wheelchair Team Crowned Champions At Regional Tournament

Monday, June 13th 2016

Bristol Rugby Wheelchair team have been crowned joint regional champions after triumphing at the BT South West Shield on Saturday, 11^th June.

The newly-formed team - made up of seven local youngsters aged 10-15 and accompanied by volunteers from Bristol Sport Foundation’s Spectrum Project, shared the title with Gloucester Rugby, after an 8-8 draw at the University of Gloucestershire.

Kris Tavender, Spectrum Project programme manager said: “The kids had the most amazing time, enjoyed an away day road-trip, a full day of fun and friendship and a real taste of very pressurised, competitive sport.

“They really did do Bristol Rugby, Bristol Sport and Bristol proud.”

The team - all learners diagnosed with Severe Learning Difficulties or Autistic Spectrum Disorder – competed against teams from established community clubs from Gloucester Rugby, Ospreys and Exeter Hawkes, despite having only three training sessions beforehand.

The tournament for the newly-formed Bristol team was the perfect end to a series of schools sessions - run in partnership with GBWR - and only the beginning of the ongoing collaborative work between them, Bristol Sport and national charity Access Sport.

The next phase of the partnership sees the commencement of a community club featuring wheelchair rugby on Thursday, 23rd June, 7-8.30pm (youth) and 8.30-10pm (adults) at Merchants Academy in South Bristol.

The Spectrum Project targets service users with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, while aiming to increase and develop SEND provision in the areas of sport, leisure and personal development through tailored programs, within special schools and other specialist providers.

The Spectrum Project is designed and planned by - as well as being delivered and evaluated - by experienced and qualified specialist teachers from the SEN/disability sector.

For more information about SPECTRUM, visit www.bristolrugbycf.co.uk/special-educational-needs-alternative-provision