Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
England Wheelchair Rugby League players deliver coaching for LBU students
Players from the national squad, including Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair Rugby League star James Simpson, delivered an in-depth Wheelchair Rugby League session to Physical Education and Sport Coaching students as part of the Inclusive Practice module.
Maura Hyland, Senior Lecturer in the Carnegie School of Sport said: “We are especially pleased for our students to have the opportunity to engage with England Wheelchair Rugby League.
“In association with the RFL’s Performance and Development department we will continue this partnership in supporting our students in 2022 by delivering their ‘Introduction to Rugby League and Wheelchair Rugby League’ course to students on coaching and teaching pathways.
“The possibility to receive expert coaching and education from RFL staff and elite players is a great opportunity for the students, who receive accreditation on completion of the course.”
Wheelchair Rugby League is played over 80 minutes and is designed to replicate the running game of Rugby League, with various modifications to enable the game to be inclusive for everyone playing.
Tackles are accomplished by removing a Velcro tag from the opposition player’s shoulder and kicks are made a clenched fist.
The sport is inclusive, with disabled and non-disabled people playing alongside each other.
Sports Coaching student, Jack Midgley said: “It was great to experience a sport I’ve loved for so long from another perspective and to gain an understanding of just how hard it actually is.
“I enjoyed the ways the International players made it simple for us and praised our development, and this helped as we began to understand the movements and played the game properly, I’m excited to go and watch some Wheelchair Rugby League and hopefully give a crack at it myself in the future.”
Wheelchair Rugby League is a fast-growing sport, with Leeds Beckett University recently becoming a training base for the Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair Rugby League team. This is part of a growing partnership with the university.