Latest news with #wheelchairRugby
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wheelchair warrior Evans finds new place in rugby
Wales rugby league international Brogan Evans thought her dreams had come true when she signed for Women's Super League side Wigan Warriors 18 months sport, as it often does, struck the cruellest of blows when the forward suffered a career-threatening injury just a few games into the coming through surgery to reconstruct her knee, further complications emerged in her spine and Evans admits it is "highly unlikely" she will ever return to the running game."I was crushed, I can't express what a massive part of my life rugby was," the 29-year-old said."I was in hospital all over the new year [2025] and I can't express how lost I felt, then I saw a poster to give wheelchair rugby a go." A whirlwind transition After just a couple of training sessions, Evans was invited into the Wales camp and is now set to make her international rugby league wheelchair debut in Saturday's Celtic annual competition sees Wales take on reigning champions Ireland and Scotland at Cardiff Metropolitan University (11:00 BST).Evans will actually make a bit of history as she will become the first player to win a senior international cap in more than one major rugby league discipline."It's all happened so fast, it's been a bit of a whirlwind," she said."I know rugby, the game in essence is the same, what I lack is chair control. I have been training so hard ahead of Celtic, hiring sports halls two or three times a week in prep. I don't want to make a fool of myself or let my team-mates down."But Wales head coach Alan Caron has no qualms in including Evans in his squad."Brogan's work-rate in the build-up to this tournament has been second to none. She's been putting in extra sessions to improve her chair skills and she scored a well-worked try for Salford last weekend," Caron said. "Her ball skills are already there of course, and the fact she won multiple awards in the women's game a couple of years ago just proves what she can accomplish. I know she'll grip this opportunity with both hands." 'Convinced my life was over' Evans said it was an emotional transition from running to wheelchair rugby and admits to shedding a few tears in her first session with Wales. "As fun as it was, there is a real possibility that one day I won't be able to just stand up from the wheelchair after a game, and that was daunting and terrifying," she said."I was convinced my life would be over but, through this, I have met the most incredible people."One of my favourite Welsh team-mates is paralysed and his life is incredible. He is the most abled and least disabled person I have ever met. His life gives me hope about my future."I'm actually okay about the whole thing now, whether I end up in a chair permanently or whether I don't, there is a place for me. A new rugby family."While Evans' initial dream of competing at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup may be over, she still hopes to play at a major tournament, and even one day compete at the Paralympics Games "in one sport or another". Evans is part of Wales' 10-player mixed squad and she will not be the only one to break records on Saturday. Jodie Boyd-Ward will become the sport's most capped player when she leads Wales out at Archers Arena. The 32-year-old is currently on 44 international appearances, level with Welshman Harry Jones. "It truly is an honour to be asked to captain Wales for the Celtic Cup, especially as it's an opportunity to lead the squad out and look to reclaim the trophy," Boyd-Ward said. "Last year, I knew after an amazing tour to the US, that I needed to take some time out after not taking a break for the whole of my wheelchair rugby league career."Now I'm back and feeling better than ever, I'm looking forward to getting stuck in with the team and also seeing how both Scotland and Ireland have continued their development, as I know we have at Wales."Wales' World Cup captain from 2022, Stuart Williams, is named as 40-year-old, who is Wales' record international try scorer with 66, returns to the side after missing last year's Wales matches. Wales Celtic Cup squad: Lee Sargent (Cardiff Blue Dragons/Hereford Harriers), Jodie Boyd-Ward (Leeds Rhinos), Jess Booth, Jonathan Gill, Jakub Wasieczko, Stuart Williams (all North Wales Crusaders), Brogan Evans (North Wales Crusaders/Salford Red Devils), Alex Powell (Torfaen Tigers/Hereford Harriers), Scott Trigg-Turner, Mark Williams (both Torfaen Tigers/Wigan Warriors).
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Somerset veteran appeals for Help for Heroes volunteers
An RAF veteran who damaged his neck while playing rugby is appealing for people to volunteer for an armed forces charity that helped him when he "most needed it". Dave Anderson, 54, who lives in Somerset, served for nine years as an RAF technician, and was supported by Help For Heroes following the accident to get into wheelchair rugby, which he said has improved his physical and mental health. Now he is helping the charity appeal for more volunteers. Mr Anderson said: "Help for Heroes was there for me when I most needed it. It's really been a lifeline for me... but it needs to recruit more volunteers so it can support more men and women who have served." Mr Anderson was left with weakness and loss of feeling in his right arm and hand, and constant pain in his neck. He also has two fused being introduced to wheelchair rugby through the charity, Mr Anderson has helped with the creation of the charity's wheelchair rugby team and had the chance to play in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup for Scotland."I know personally what a valuable job Help for Heroes does," he said. The charity is currently supporting 85 veterans across Somerset and said it is trying to bring more people on board as it expands its reach in local said it is looking for volunteers who can help with the running of its cafes, sports activities, social activities and Anderson said: "There are more than 43,200 veterans living in the Somerset area and, if we can recruit people who are able to give a couple of hours a week, the charity can do more for local people." According to the charity, on average, five people are medically discharged from the UK military every day. Some veterans must find new ways to live with a physical disability, others face complex mental trauma and many feel cut off from society, friends, even family.A Help for Heroes spokesperson said: "We are currently supporting more than 4,000 veterans across the UK. "By recruiting more local volunteers - either to help us provide services such as sports and social activities, or to help with local fundraising activities –-we can grow our offering and provide more support."
