Congratulations to Northampton Saints Wheelchair Rugby Club on being named February’s Club of the Month. The club formed in 2016 and have been supported heavily since their inception by the Premiership Rugby club of the same name. The Premiership club have a continued commitment to the wheelchair rugby project and support them in numerous ways. The wheelchair rugby club have created a real community amongst their members, with both adult sessions and junior sessions taking place each week. The club have grown hugely and are now one of the biggest clubs within the country with 22 full GBWR members, 10 volunteers and 15 junior players.
Head Coach, Jamie Higgins said on the nomination:
We are so grateful to be recognised as Club of the month by GBWR. As mentioned we create a real community feel at the club and that is our aim first and foremost. Through that we have found a club and group of players and volunteers that inspire a real team spirit, which has in turn brought a successful competetive edge to the club.
Jamie now also works alongside GBWR and Northampton Saints to deliver our national junior programme. With his proven success working with the wheelchair rugby club, Jamie is growing junior involvement within our sport tremendously which will surely have a positive outcome when looking at the future players within GB.
Northampton currently compete in the Premiership league of the wheelchair rugby fives discipline and also field a development side to ensure their newer and developing players are able to compete fairly. The club were one of two that travelled to Poland in 2022 to compete in the first international wheelchair rugby fives tournament against the top two teams in the Polish leagues.
To compliment their involvement and achievements on the court the club have also developed a host of referees and table officials, invaluable to our game, namely Gary Spratt and Jo Montgomery who have both assisted at recent national and international tournaments as table officials, and Abby Montgomery who has been refereeing at GB tournaments and oversea’s, gaining noticeable confidence as she develops into an experienced official.
GBWR would like to congratulate Northampton on their nomination, and wish them all the best as they continue to grow.
