Members of the Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby team are preparing for the final National BT Super Series Division One weekend of the season at the end of February.
The team currently sit at the top of the league with the top six teams qualifying for the BT National Championships at the end of the season.
We caught up with Tigers player Muhammed Islam – or ‘Ships’ as he’s known in the squad – to find out how he got involved with the sport and how far the Tigers team can go.
Tell us a little bit about your time with Leicester Tigers
“I’ve been with Tigers for just over a year now and have been a part of the Team GB set-up since 2013. Unfortunately, I missed the end of last season due to health issues, but it’s great to be back and around the team.
“I was injured in 2004 from a road traffic accident and wheelchair rugby was a recreational sport during my recovering. I joined my local team at Wolverhampton Rhinos and then played for Tigers’ rivals West Coach Crash before joining Tigers and it’s been incredible to watch the sport grow.”
What makes wheelchair rugby such a great sport
Playing and watching wheelchair rugby gives you a real buzz. It’s designed around wheelchair use and is a great sport to play. It’s also about building links with the professional rugby team and we’re all Tigers fans here so it’s great to be a part of such a huge club.”
How has this season been for you and the team?
“We’re in great form and we want to build on this. For me personally, I’m keen to push on with the Team GB set-up and hopefully make the squad for the World Championships and maybe even get a winner’s medal.
“Preparations are going well and we’re training hard so hopefully we continue our good performances.”
The Tigers Wheelchair Team are next in action in the final week of February at Leicester Arena.
Anyone interested in training, playing or being part of the volunteer staff with Tigers Wheelchair Rugby should contact Josh Black by emailing [email protected]
