This month we are highlighting Stoke Mandeville Maulers as our Club of the Month. Read on to learn more about the club’s inception and their social ethos at the heart of the teams. To celebrate the club further, we talked to one of the club’s founders, ex-GB player and GBWR Hall of Famer Bob O’Shea, who has given an inspiring interview as he reflects over 34 years of commitment to wheelchair rugby.
Stoke Mandeville is best known for being the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, primarily down to the work of Dr Ludwig Guttmann who used sport as part of the rehabilitation of patients within the hospital. The site has been integral to the development of wheelchair rugby too, with numerous domestic and international competitions being held within the venue over the years. Although wheelchair rugby was played regularly at Stoke Mandeville since its introduction to Great Britain in the 1970s, it was not until 2015 that a club was formed there and used the venue as its base – the Stoke Mandeville Maulers.
The Maulers have always considered themselves a social club, who’s main focus was to maintain the club ethos of guaranteed ‘court time’ at competitions for those who pay their monthly subs and attend training sessions. The club focus on the enjoyment of playing wheelchair rugby rather than competing against the best. As the club are based within Stoke Mandeville, they work closely with the neighbouring hospitals spinal unit where potential new players are introduced to the sport during their rehabilitation programmes through a monthly ‘patient rugby session’. Aswell as the spinal unit, the club work with their local scouts and cubs group promoting disability awareness and sport.
The Maulers field three teams across all of Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby disciplines, three v three, wheelchair rugby fives and of course, the Paralympic discipline. Their players have close bonds, and crossover between teams is common where classification allows, but if someone is not involved with a particular team, they will always be seen court side cheering on their club mates.
Off the field the club’s members are close friends, they are all willing to help each other out where needed, not only that, but the club members have also recently been working with their sponsor Bolt Borden & Kemp to promote and raise funds for Spinal Research by taking part in a number of push, cycle and swim challenges.
Although the club’s ethos is mainly to support the grassroots side of wheelchair rugby, they do have players looking to step into the elite side of wheelchair rugby, these players are supported wholly by the experienced members who are eager to help pass on the knowledge needed at an elite level. Members such as one of the club’s founders, ex-GB player and GBWR Hall of Famer, Bob O’Shea who has recently gave an interview exploring his involvement with wheelchair rugby and how the sport has grown over his 34 year career and developed into the game we play today.
