Players and staff at Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby team head to Germany next week to help Great Britain defend its European Championship crown.
A total of 144 athletes from eight nations head to head in Koblenz at the Championships (June 24-July 2) at the Conjug Arena.
Tigers players Nick Cummins, Jamie Stead and Gavin Walker are part of the GB squad with club colleague Jack Smith among the reserves. Also, Tigers coaches Rob Tarr and Darren Matthews support Paul Shaw in making up the coaching staff.
The tournament acts as a qualifier for next year’s World Championships in Sydney, Australia.
Great Britain came out on top of the European event two years ago after beating Sweden 49-48 in the finals and this year face the challenge of Ireland, Poland and Denmark in the group stages.
Rob Tarr, who represented GB for two decades up to 2005, including in three Paralympic Games, said: “It’s great to have Nick, Jamie, Gavin and Jack involved from the Tigers set-up, which just shows the level that we as a club are currently competing at. We have a great squad available and hope to put our preparations into practise next week.
“To represent your country at any level is always a dream come true, so it’s a great opportunity for myself and Darren in our respective coaching careers.”
The Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Team secured a fourth place finish during their domestic league campaign and finished third in the BT National Championships.
Anyone interested in training, playing or being part of the volunteer staff with Tigers Wheelchair Rugby should contact Agata Pryl by emailing [email protected]
