Hi there everyone! We are the Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team. We have decided to run a PledgeSports campaign so that we can chase our dream of representing Ireland at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
As part of the preparation and qualification for the Paralympic Games, the Wheels in Green, will compete in the 2015 European Wheelchair Rugby Championships. This will be held on 12th – 20th September 2015 in Pajulahti Sports Institute, Nastola, Finland.
This tournament is an international wheelchair rugby event played every two years. The IWRF European Division A Championships is a key world event for the team to compete in as they continue on the path to try and qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
We are incredibly determined and are working tirelessly to make history by bringing an Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team to the Paralympic Games next year in Rio, but to do that we must get to and perform at the European Wheelchair Rugby Championships.
We are giving that extra push and with your kindness and support you can get this team & group of athletes all the way to the Europeans and on to the Paralympics!
The Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team is made up of all amateur players, however they train like professionals.
A typical week may include 4 – 5 strength & conditioning sessions, 2 – 3 on court training sessions, multiple tactical meetings and full squad training weekends.
So as you can see, we are incredibly committed to getting an Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team to the Paralympics and by doing so, making history.
But what difference can you make by pledging to this group on PledgeSports? Quite a lot actually! As our National Captain, Alan Lynch, said himself:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to get on board with the Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team as we push toward qualification for the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Any support that you can give us through our PledgeSports campaign will allow us to spend that extra day, week or month in camp preparing to help make this dream a reality. Be part of the Wheels in Green in their Paralympic journey.”
The cost of sending our teams to compete internationally is huge and often inhibiting, ranging from €30,000 – €60,000 a season. This is a huge sum of money! Travel expenses and accommodation constitute the bulk of our expenses.
As a National Team, we currently have no funding from the Irish Sports Council, but have been lucky to receive some much needed sponsorship through the bookmaker, Paddy Power. Although this very generous sponsorship was graciously accepted, we still require additional contributions in order to perform at our best and represent our country.
Your support can really make a monumental difference to get us to the European Wheelchair Rugby Championships and through to the next level. All funds raised will go towards preparing the Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team to compete in Finland and qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
We appreciate every penny contributed to our campaign and are extremely grateful for every bit of help we receive. Your belief in us as a team means the world to everyone involved.
When we play we will be playing for you, for the green jersey knowing that your support has made all the difference. Join us on our journey to Rio 2016.
Thank you for supporting us!
Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team