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The capacity for to perform athletically for individuals that live their lives in wheelchairs has never been greater than the current age. There are many sports that have been reworked to be viable, playable, and challenging for individuals in wheelchairs such as rugby. Wheelchair Rugby originated in Canada in the year 1977. At the time though, its name was murderball due to the highly aggressive nature and physically dominant requirements of the quadriplegic athletes that played it. In the United States it became known as quad rugby. In the late 80's the name of the sport would change to officially become wheelchair rugby.
Despite the name wheelchair rugby, this sport has little to do with its name sake. This sport is a combination of several other sports. These sports are ice hockey, wheelchair basketball, rugby, and handball. It is a mixed gender sport that allows for both male and female athletes to compete at the same time on the same court. Typically a game is played between two teams of twelve, with four players per team on the court at any given time.
The game itself is played on a standard length indoor basketball court. The reason for this game to have originally been known as murderball becomes apparent when the would-be player realizes that physical contact between chairs is not only permitted but encouraged by some playing styles. Only dangerous contact such as slamming into another chair from behind or direct contact from one player to another, such as a solid punch to the face, is deemed a foul.
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