This archive report was first published on 28 August 2021.
Published on August 28, 2021, the Tokyo Paralympics witnessed a unique sport that challenges preconceptions about disability – wheelchair rugby.
Christophe Salegui, a 35-year-old member of the French team, described the sport as one that 'breaks stereotypes, where we push beyond our limits.'
Originally known as 'murderball,' wheelchair rugby has a reputation for tough confrontations, with players mercilessly battering opponents to keep them from landing a point.
Players like Zak Madell, one of Canada's top players, love the speed, aggression, and competitiveness of the sport, which helps undercut ideas about people with disabilities.
Despite the name, wheelchair rugby differs from traditional rugby in several ways, including the use of round balls, forward passing, and indoor court play.
Attackers have just 12 seconds to get the ball across the court's central line and 40 seconds to score a try, with failure to do so resulting in the ball switching sides.
The fast-paced game, invented in Canada in the 1970s, is a mix of brute force and strategy, with players adapting their chairs to suit their roles.
Players say their chairs rather than their bodies bear the brunt in confrontations, with serious injuries rare.
At the Tokyo Games, defending champions Australia are bidding for a record third consecutive gold, coming back from a shock defeat by debutants Denmark in their opening fixture.
