Jermaine Jenas is put through his paces at wheelchair rugby by Great Britain’s stars as the ex-footballer reveals he is a ‘little sore’ after taking some ‘heavy hits’
- Great Britain won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in wheelchair rugby
- The sport is growing fast, with 34 clubs in total based throughout the UK
- Jermaine Jenas was given the opportunity to play the sport for the first time
Former Tottenham and Newcastle star Jermaine Jenas tried his hand at wheelchair rugby this week.
The sport is fast-growing after Great Britain won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralymics, with 34 clubs in total across the UK.
Those teams play across three disciplines of the sport – Paralympic wheelchair rugby, wheelchair rugby fives and three-vs-three wheelchair rugby.
And Jenas, alongside rugby players from Saracens and Harlequins, took part in a training session with some of Britain’s biggest stars, just a year out from the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
The session the footballer-turned-pundit took part in was at the Aspire National Training Centre in Stanmore, with the sport continuing to develop from grassroots to the elite level.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nGaz44j7XMM%3Frel%3D0%26start%3D1
Former footballer Jermaine Jenas tried his hand at wheelchair rugby, a Paralympic sport
Jenas (right) was put through his paces with stars from Harlequins and Saracens rugby teams
He was taught the rules and given the opportunity to experience the sport first hand
Jenas and the rugby players – which included the likes of Shaunagh Brown, Bryony Cleall, Hayden Hyde and Hugh Tizard – were taught the rules and given the opportunity to experience the sport first hand, while they also discussed key issues surrounding elite level competition, including mental health and the growth of women’s sport.
Wheelchair rugby is played indoors on a hard wood court, and physical contact between wheelchairs is an integral part of the game.
The sport is governed by the World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) which was established in 1993.
Speaking after he was put through his paces, Jenas explained how much he had enjoyed his first experience of wheelchair rugby and the potential he saw in the sport.
The former midfielder said he thoroughly enjoyed his first experience of wheelchair rugby
Although he admitted he was feeling a ‘bit sore’ after being involved in some heavy collisions
He said: ‘Wheelchair rugby has gone from strength to strength in Great Britain, with our national team taking gold for the first time at the Tokyo Paralympics.
‘Since then, France have won the European Championship, and are hosts of the Paralympics next year, which means it’s likely to be a fierce face-off between us and them in Paris.
‘Having played my first game with the British wheelchair rugby squad, I cannot wait to see them in action. The game is all about high stakes and heavy hits, which is really entertaining – although I’m a little sore now!’
Jenas is also set to be involved in an explainer video to further promote the sport, along with the stars from Harlequins and Saracens, who both have wheelchair rugby teams in the domestic league.
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