Hawks train at Life Centre in Plymouth on Mondays 5pm-7pm and a new session in Exeter at Wonford Sports Centre on Saturdays 11.30am-1pm.

We are happy for anyone to come along and watch and meet us all.

We ask that you let us know if you wish to come along and play so that we make sure we have a chair available for you.

If you do come randomly if we have a chair available we might be able to get you on court.

Please arrive wearing comfortable clothes that you are happy wearing for sports and a drink. The club will provide the other bits of equipment

Please do not be worried about tipping out, it looks worse than it is and does not happen that often in training.

Wheelchair rugby is a high impact sport. While wheelchair rugby chairs are designed with more stability that regular day chairs there is the risk that you will be tipped over during play. 

We have volunteers who kindly give their time to support the running of the club. If you tip out there is the option if you are able to, to undo straps move away from the chair and get up yourself while the chair is righted and you can get back in. If you are unable to do this, volunteers when safe will come to your aid. If the wheelchair is on its side with you in, you will be moved onto your and the chairs back, a volunteer will usually hold under your arms and help lift as a second volunteer will lever the chair back onto all its wheels. This is a quick and simple manoeuvre so the game can continue. 

In wheelchair rugby games if you tip out you are not allowed to right yourself as you see in basketball. Please wait for assistance.

Yes both males and females play in the same team for all disciplines of wheelchair rugby. 

If a female is on court then the team gains additional points allowance depending on the verison played.

The first four sessions are free so you have nothing to lose. It is then £30 a month with an annual subscription to our National Gioverning Body GBWR

Rughy Wheelchairs - The most obvious piece is the rugby wheelchair. This is an armoured chair which has covered wheels rather than the usual wheels for spokes.

In general there are two types of rugby wheelchairs. Picking chairs are more open and have a large “pick” at the front, these are also known as defensive wheelchairs. Often used by lower pointers to slow faster players down and tend to be more stable. Offensive or attacking chairs are more compact by design, they are built for speed and quick manoeuvering.

Straps - each player has differing needs for their comfort and positioning in the wheelchair. Surprisingly players do not need to be strapped in, however it is generally preferable. The most common straps are waist belt/strap, chest straps (these tend to refer to the larger bands some players use), leg straps (often ratchet straps or individual leg straps) and foot straps.

Gloves - Rugby wheelchairs in general do not have the standard push rims, and players use palms, or back of hands to push on the covered part. This means we use gloves. To start with we recommend heavy duty gardening or work men gloves. Some players add rubber to the gloves to help gain better grip.

Tape - if the gloves are not tight fitting it is common for them to slip causing blisters. Most rugby players get around this by using tape to keep the gloves in place.

Spare inner tubes - by now you know wheelchair rugby is a contact sport and the tyres can take a lot of hits, often puncturing the inner tubes, some sessions we dont need any. Others the team can get through 5 or 6 (depends whose on court). If you use a club chair Hawks will cover these.

Oh and a ball - not your typical rugby ball. For wheelchair rugby the ball used is a modified volleyball. This means it is lighter weight and easier to pass.