Mike Spence is to be the Head Coach to the GB Wheelchair Rugby team for the Invictus Games. Mike started playing himself in 1990 and went on to represent GB between 1993 and the Paralympic games in Sydney in 2000. Throughout his career he played for Pirates from where he retired from playing in 2012 but where he still coaches. Mike has also been coaching some of the GB development programmes including Rugby Wheels and the Military programmes at Headley Court and the Personnel Recovery Centres. His fellow club mate Paul Jenkins will be his assistant coach and he will also be supported by GB Head Coach Paul Shaw and the performance team. Tickets for Invictus went on sale last week and Friday 12 September is highlighted as the rugby tournament.

This week the GB squad and staff returned from Lakeshore where they have been training with the USA. They were able to play 6 matches against the team ranked No1 in the world and all players had the opportunity to get on the court and face the world’s best. Thank you to the USA for this opportunity and for your support of the squad. The pace now quickens for the GB squad as they prepare for the Canada Cup in Vancouver, the last big event before the all important World Championships in Odense in August. Alongside the World’s will be the IWRF General Assembly and I have posted details of this and the consultation process on the website.

Whilst the team were here I was further north in Toronto with Richard Allcroft where we had meetings with the Canadian event team who put on the 2010 World Championships in Vancouver. This was invaluable as we learnt much about the organisation, budget and delivery of the championships which will help us determine whether we will bid for the 2018 World’s. Thank you to Kathy, Gail and Cathy for their support and hospitality.

Meanwhile back home Mike Spence (this time with his Trustee hat on), Kirsty and Amanda were representing GBWR at an event to mark the TREAT Trust in Swansea. TREAT is a charity which is building a top rehabilitation facility in the city and we are looking at ways where we might be able to work together. Special guests at the event included the Welsh rugby singer Max Boyce, Non Evans and Paul Thorburn who brought with him a team of Welsh rugby all stars who got in chairs for a game against a Pirates team. Also present was Lt Col Gareth Thomas from Headley Court who spoke about the value of wheelchair rugby being delivered throughout the centres by GBWR.

That’ s it for this week other than to wish the new Talent squad all the best as they come together for a training camp under new coach Phil Zealey. Work hard – you are the future Paralympians!

David Pond

By any organisation’s standards this has been another fantastic week for us. It began at Stoke on Trent where after a week’s festival of rugby, the National Championships took place at Fenton Manor. It was probably the best Nationals I have seen – well organised, more athletes, more teams, more officials and volunteers and some really competitive games. Congratulations to Pirates who won the Shield and to Storm who won the final of the Cup against Crash. It was especially good to see new teams in action and I met some of the volunteers who are behind the new Canterbury team who we hope to see in the league and Nationals next season. A big thank you to Roma Sports who sponsored the event and who were present throughout to provide help and advice on chairs and equipment. Thank you also to Fenton Manor and to all who helped in so many ways especially Jo Arnold, Lee and Daniel.

It was also great to pick up the news this week that Solent Sharks won the Sport Solent Awards for the best team. Congratulations to Solent who really are a real success story as a new club and who are providing opportunities for players and volunteers in a part of the country where previously there was no club.

The other highlight this week has been the announcement by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, that the Copperbox in the Olympic Park will host the first ever World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge in October 2015. The announcement came as part of a media launch on London’s south bank where Boris was quick to get in a chair and take on GB Captain Mike Kerr, Kylie Grimes, Bulbul Hussain and Chris Ryan. He did have our Chairman Kevin Aitchison, and Ambassador Mike Brown to help him and also IWRF President John Bishop who flew over from the USA to be part of the event – thank you John. Despite the grey skies, it was a successful launch with lots of media present and plenty of follow up by people who are interested in tickets and supporting the event. Work is well underway now to ensure this event is every bit as spectacular as the London 2012 experience. A special WWRC15 website page will be up soon and with this will come details of how you can register for tickets which we know will be keenly sought after.

With this season’s domestic season now over our attention is very much on supporting the GB squad as they prepare for the big events this year. This weekend they fly out to the USA until 21 May where they will get some valuable training and competition opportunities before the Canada Cup in June and the all important World Championships in August. Good luck to the squad, coaches and staff as their competition season really gets underway. While they are in the USA I will be in Canada for a few days with GB Trustee and IWRF Board member Richard Allcroft. We will be meeting with the management team who hosted the last World Championships in Vancouver in order to learn and help determine whether GB will bid to host the 2018 World Championships. At the same time we will take the opportunity to watch some of the Canadian National Championships.

David Pond

I am really pleased to be able to tell you that the Mayor of London Boris Johnson will be joined by our ambassador England rugby star Mike Brown to officially announce that London will host the first ever World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge. The Mayor will join Mike and wheelchair rugby internationals Kylie Grimes, Bulbul Hussain, Chris Ryan and GB Captain Mike Kerr on Wednesday 7 May at Queen’s Walk next to City Hall for the launch. They will be joined by John Bishop, President IWRF who is coming over from the USA and our Chairman, Kevin Aitchison.

WWRC15 is will take place between 11-16 October 2015 in the Copper Box arena at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This is the period between the group games and quarter final matches of the IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 and we expect to attract a lot of rugby supporters from around the world. Taking part alongside GB will be world champions USA, Paralympic gold medallists Australia, silver medallists Canada along with Japan, South Africa, France and New Zealand.

The aim is to make this more than just a tournament. There will be a community and participation programme around it which will start in January 2015 and will build on our current Rugby Wheels, Military Recovery Centre and Youth initiatives culminating with events in the Copperbox. WWRC15 will also offer corporate hospitality and entertainment opportunities including court-side hospitality boxes. We are currently working with a number of partners and hope soon to be able to announce sponsors and broadcasters for the event.

Coming on the back of an incredible week for our sport where we launched a new partnership with Harlequins, delivered rugby at Tedworth House as part of Invictus preparations watched by HRH Prince Harry, and provided a week of wheelchair rugby involving schools, colleges and the public at Stoke on Trent, this is a really exciting time for wheelchair rugby.

Watch out for the launch in the media next week and watch the website for volunteering and sponsorship opportunities as well as updates on progress towards WWRC15.

David Pond