This weekend the Denver Harlequins Wheelchair Rugby Club, Denver Harlequins Rugby Club, Craig Hospital and the City of Englewood will host a world-class Wheelchair Rugby Tournament at Englewood High School, featuring five of the finest teams in the world. More than 60 wheelchair athletes (including two who won Bronze Medals for the U.S. Paralympic Team in London) will be competing from:
. University of Arizona Wildcats
. Tampa Generals
. Northridge, CA. Knights
. Las Vegas Renegades
. Denver Harlequins A&B Teams
This tournament was encouraged by Mayor Randy Penn of Englewood, who at his city council meeting in October honored two of the Colorado’s wheelchair rugby players who won bronze medals for the U.S. Team in the London Paralympic games. Mayor Penn wanted to bring this great sport to the City of Englewood and the Denver area for all to enjoy, and supported Jason Regier and the Denver Harlequins in organizing this event in four short months.
Wheelchair Rugby, also called “Quad Rugby” evolved from the sport of “Murderball” created in Canada in 1977, and was made famous by the 2005 movie with the same name. The United States’ name "Quad Rugby" is based on the fact that all wheelchair rugby players need to have disabilities that include at least some loss of function in at least three limbs—most are medically classified as quadriplegic. Wheelchair rugby is played by two teams of up to twelve players, with four players from each team on the court at any time. It is a mixed gender sport, and both male and female athletes can play on the same teams. Wheelchair rugby is played indoors on a hardwood court. The rules include elements of wheelchair basketball, ice hockey, hand ball and rugby. It is a contact sport and physical contact between wheelchairs is an integral part of the game.
The Denver Quad Rugby Club was founded in 1993 and joined the Harlequins in 1999. This year the Club celebrates its 20th birthday! For many years the Harlequins have been one of the finest teams in the U.S. and has contributed several players to the U.S. Team in the Beijing and London Paralympic games.
EVENT INFORMATION
WHEN: Saturday, 9:00 am- Sunday 1:30 pm
WHERE: Englewood High School Gymnasium, 3800 S Logan St, Englewood, 80113
FORMAT: Round robin tournament- 15 total games total, first game is Saturday at 9:00, last game is Sunday at 12:30 pm Denver Harlequins vs Tampa Generals. Games are high scoring, and each game is approximately one hour long.
ADMISSION FEE: NONE- The tourney is open to the public and donations to the Denver Harlequins Club are encouraged
Photo by Peter Wayne Photography
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