Disability Sport Wales
Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru

Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby announce squad for European Championships

Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) have announced the squad for the European Championships to be held in Hillerod, Denmark between the October 14-17, 2009.

Great Britain won the European Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007 and go in search of their fourth consecutive crown.

GB have been drawn in a pool containing Sweden and Finland, who both performed strongly at last month’s GB Cup in Sheffield, as well as Holland, Austria and Ireland.

The squad will be captained by Andy Barrow, who led the team to fourth place in last year’s Paralympic Games in Beijing.

The squad travelling to the European Championships is as follows:

2.5 Troye Collins (Rampton, Notts)
2.5 Mandip Sehmi (Leamington Spa, Warwicks)
2.5 David Anthony (Swansea, Wales)
2.0 Andrew Barrow (captain) (New Eltham, London)
1.0 Josie Pearson (Witney-on-Wye, Herefordshire – originally from Wales – pictured)
0.5 Jonathan Coggan (Chelmsford, Essex)

Two further players are yet to be selected.

The players selected as non-travelling reserves are as follows:

2.5 Ross Morrison (Fareham, Hants)
2.0 Noel Thomas (Redcar, Cleveland)
1.5 Jason Roberts (Oswestry, Shropshire – orginially from Shotton)
1.0 Bulbul Hussain (Bethnal Green, London)

Performance Manager and Head Coach Tom O’Connor said, “We are currently looking to develop certain players and experiment with a number of line ups at this tournament. It is really pleasing to see teams like Sweden and Finland playing so well and bringing new high pointers into the game. I am sure this tournament and in particular our pool will produce some very exciting competitive rugby.”

GBWR have also appointed a new Team Manager/Assistant Coach. Naomi O’Reilly has had significant experience of Wheelchair Rugby with the highly successful New Zealand team and more recently as the Team Manager of Ireland

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