GBWR would like to welcome the latest team to join our ever-increasing list of clubs across the UK, the Berkshire Banshees.
With the help of our Regional Development Officer Paul Arnold, alongside Reading Rugby Club, Get Berkshire Active and Wokingham Borough Council GBWR ran a series of taster sessions in March and September 2017 to see if there was enough interest to establish a club in the area.
The club began to run weekly training sessions in November with nine new disabled players. The age range of the players is between 16 and 70 years old with a good mix of male and female players, showing a real cross section of the population in the county.
GBWR are currently loaning the club some chairs to allow them to continue to play and to develop. The aim is to eventually be in a position to play competitively either in the Super Series or our newly developed Wheelchair Rugby 5s league.
This month the club received a Sport England Small Grants award of £10K that will help them buy their first four Roma chairs. With a solid group of players, as well as five volunteers and an experienced player in Luke White coaching the side, the Banshees are progressing well in their first few months as a team.
Paul Arnold added: “It is brilliant that we have been able to work with Reading Rugby club and Get Berkshire Active, to develop another new club in the south of England. But more importantly, is that we now have another group of new players enjoying wheelchair rugby. We have been on a journey with the partners on this project and it is amazing to see it all work out with this new club in Berkshire.”
The Banshees train at Bulmershe Leisure Centre every Saturday from 11am and would love to welcome any new players or volunteers who would potentially like to get involved.
If you would like further information about the club please contact Craig Hunter craigchairman@gmail.com.
Nathaniel Holland
