Wheelchair rugby | Paralympics Australia

Wheelchair rugby started as a sport solely for players with a spinal injury. But its expansion to include players with other impairments helped make the game faster, more intricate and opened the door for each player to perform a vital task for their team.

For James McQuillan, a member of Australia’s 2022 World Championship winning Steelers side, that means playing a defensive role in which he’s effectively ‘tagging’ an opposing player and trying to nullify their impact.

It’s a familiar role for McQuillan, an 0.5 classified player who acquired his spinal injury while playing Australian Rules football.

“From what I have experienced, players who have limb deficiencies are often high pointers and bring the pace and strength” McQuillan explained.

“Players with CP (cerebral palsy) bring speed as well but can have better hand function than someone with a high-level spinal cord injury like my own. Often you find those with a high-level spinal injury are the low pointers.

“Because of my level of function my job is mostly defensively minded. I’m trying to screen and block so our high pointers can access the ball and find space on the court. Often I’ll be working with another player on my team trying to lock down one of the other team’s better players, trying to minimise their impact and create a mismatch on court for our high-functioning players.

“If I’m not doing that, I’m taking out the other team’s low point player so they can’t block and create space for their high pointers.”

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McQuillan said there were similarities between his job for the Steelers and the ‘run-with’ type of role he performed when he played Australian rules football.

“You’re the bloke playing on Patrick Cripps – unfortunately you’re not Patrick Cripps! – but it’s an important lock-down role and a critical part of the game,” he said.

The diversity and inclusion in wheelchair rugby also has impacts away from the court. McQuillan said it was a great way for him to learn about how people with other disabilities go about their lives, the difficulties they have to deal with and how they overcome them. He said it made the team more collaborative.

Read: Australian Steelers Captain Calls For More Heavy-Hitters

“For example, I roomed with Josh Nicholson on a trip recently. He’s a quad amputee, and can sometimes struggle with the dexterity side of things, so I was picking small things for him. Then I’d struggle to lift up my heavy suitcase, so he could grab that and move it around for me. Everyone brings different strengths to the table.”

McQuillan is eyeing a spot on the Australian Team for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. But he encourages anyone who may have been reluctant to get involved at local or pathway level to give it a chance.

“I’d strongly recommend it. The game’s terrific fun and the people involved are all fantastic. The sport is very inclusive and welcoming and at a local level everyone’s there to have fun and give everyone a go, especially those who are new to the game.”