Update 9/25/2020: The USWRA has clarifited that the wheelchair rugby seaosn has been cancelled until at least February, when they will reassess. However, it is of the author's opinion that play related to a 2020-2021 season likely will not occur.
September 23, 2020 - Homewood, AL
The moment we all dreaded has finally been confirmed. Just announced today, the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association has officially cancelled any possibility of a 2020-2021 wheelchair rugby season.
Through Board conversations and COVID-19 Task Force meetings, there have been months of deliberations to determine whether a season was possible, given all of the precautions needed, and the Association has now put out a statement acknowledging it is not.
Their release states:
“At this time, we cannot support sanctioned gameplay starting in January 2021.
The Board struggled with the decision of pressing forward with starting the season in January. During that discussion, we considered a significant amount of information which was collected and debated during the COVID-19 Task Force meetings. The Board worked with referees, classifiers, and members of the league affected by COVID.”
While there was a known issue that many in the sport are technically at a higher risk for contracting the more severe complications of the virus, the Association’s statements go beyond that, including
“Moral and ethical dilemmas concerning starting game play were discussed in regard to participants spreading the virus to family members and/or friends.”
Also going on to point out the legal implications and fallout surrounding members of the league coming down with the virus, or worse, succumbing to it “If someone contracts the virus, word would travel throughout the league and
discussions would concern how the Association did not adequately protect its
membership.”
The USWRA did leave a small window for possible pockets of competition, but went on to explain it would be at the risk of each individual participant, and the event and its outcomes would not be covered under league insurance.
Read the USWRA’s full statement here:
While this does put a damper on wheelchair rugby games happening anytime soon, we can rest a bit easier knowing the likelihood of us losing one of our own is now a little bit lower.
What are your or your team doing to keep in shape without rugby? How are you coping during these strange times? Reach out to the Bent Axle and let us know.
We can get through this as a community, together.
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