Coaching
We are excited to announce that a new three course suite of education will soon be released as we look to upskill and strengthen all wheelchair rugby coaches within Great Britain. All the courses are based on the latest coach education best practice and Play the GB Way game principals.
The new courses are:
Wheelchair Rugby Activator – This will be the first step on GBWR’s new coaching pathway. You must do this course before you can progress to the next level, regardless of previous qualifications. The course will introduce concepts that have not previously not been included at this level so it would be beneficial for all coaches to complete it in order to continue their learning as we expand upon the topics covered in this course in the future.
This course is now live and the next one is:
Thursday 8th and 15th January 2026 (7-8pm both evenings online)
Register your place
Wheelchair Rugby Community Coach –This course has been developed to equip you to lead sessions within your club and build upon your coaching skills.
Wheelchair Rugby Advanced Coach – An advance level coaching course for talented coaches, designed for those who are looking to coach at a national level or above aswell as push their athletes to compete at the highest levels.
Wheelchair Rugby Activator
The first level of the education package will be aimed at educating those new to the sport of wheelchair rugby and/or inexperienced in the principles of coaching wheelchair rugby. This will be delivered via a blend of live and pre-recorded eLearning sessions and will equip learners with the required knowledge as they begin their coach education journey.
The Wheelchair Rugby Activator course will cover many areas and will introduce many important topics from the coaching world. It will be extremely beneficial to both new and experienced coaches as it highlights areas that have previously only been covered in more advanced GBWR coaching courses, the content of this course will be beneficial to all coaches within GB wheelchair rugby clubs regardless of their previous coaching qualifications.
What’s important to know is that this new Activator course will be fully mapped to the latest CIMSPA professional standards, and forms part of our commitment to aligning with the National Governing Body’s updated workforce strategy and governance framework. For some coaches who have completed our previous qualifications some of the content may feel familiar but it’s been redesigned with national consistency in mind. This is about giving every wheelchair rugby coach – regardless of previous qualifications – the same benchmark for quality, inclusion, and delivery, and helping us all stay aligned to what GBWR values most in its coaching community. Think of it less as repeating and more as refreshing and continuing your learning – strengthening the link between your practice and the new, recognised national standards.
Wheelchair Rugby Community Coach and Advanced Coach Courses
Following the release of the Activator course detailed above, GBWR are also working on two further course which will develop existing coaches and those who wish to progress with their coach education.
The Community Coach award will hopefully be available in early 2026 and the Advanced Coach award towards the end of 2026.
In the meantime, please look out for further coach development opportunities and workshops and if you have any coach development suggestions or questions, please get in touch – clubs@gbwr.org.uk
Do you have what it takes to motivate, enthuse and generally bring out the best in people? If so, we would love to hear from you. You don’t need to come armed with experience or lots of technical knowledge, just the enthusiasm and a willingness to learn is a great starting point to begin your coaching journey. Contact us or pop along to your local club to get started.
If you’re already involved with a club, have an understanding of our sport and would like to take the next step in developing your skills and qualifications, then check out how we can support you in getting that next qualification or supportive learning opportunity.
Qualifications
Are you ready to take the next step in your coaching career? If you are coaching or helping a team already, why not embark on our coach education programme? Register your interest now and who knows, you could be leading a team out to a World Championships or Paralympic Games one day!
