It would be difficult for you not to have noticed that the BT World Wheelchair Challenge 2015 is almost on us. This week we have seen some fantastic promotion of the tournament on ITV, capped with the studio appearance of Steve Brown talking about the sport before the start of the Fiji Uraguay RWC match. The national media is also getting behind it and we should see more in the papers and magazines over the next few days. Tomorrow the Australian ‘Steelers’ arrive, the first of our guests, followed by Canada and then the USA and Japan. By Sunday all the teams will be with us at Stratford and I know you will join me in welcoming them to the UK and wishing them a great stay and a great tournament. This is such an exciting time for us and our sport. We are staging the first ever tournament of this kind and setting out to show that wheelchair rugby can be presented as a high quality spectator sport in its own right. For the first time it is not part of a multi-sport event but we are setting out to show that we are part of the wider rugby family and a truly elite sport which is exciting to watch. The venue will look stunning and there will be some fantastic innovations in how we present the sport. We could not be staging the tournament in this way without the support of the investment made by our partners and the efforts of those who are behind the scenes working to ensure the tournament is delivered to the highest standard. I want to thank all of them but especially ITV for the huge investment they have made in this, BT as the title sponsor, Ssangyong Motors UK, Roma Sports, Irwin Mitchell, UK Sport, the Lottery, Knight Frank, Coca Cola and GLL – all are helping us deliver this event. We wish the organising committee, officials, volunteers and Synergy all the best for the week ahead.
It all kicks off on Sunday with the BT Community Festival. This fun, family event will bring together the first of our youth teams to play in their own competition and our Help For Heroes, military teams who will also compete against one another. There will also be lots to do for families and visitors, not least the chance to take on the ‘pros’ in the BT Speed Challenge! So don’t think about it – get yourself to the Copper Box Arena on Sunday and enjoy the occasion – doors open at 930am and the day finishes at 4pm.
I hope everyone really enjoys the week ahead – it promises to be very special – whether, playing, officiating, watching on ITV at home or watching live in the Copper Box Arena – have a great time!
David Pond
