ABOUT THE GAME OF WHEELCHAIR TAG RUGBY

Wheelchair Tag Rugby was originally called 'Wheelchair Rugby League' because it is based on the game of Rugby League. It is not the same as 'Wheelchair Rugby' (See the Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelchair_rugby for details) The name was causing some confusion because people, and search engines, thought it was the 'League of Wheelchair Rugby'.
The game is similiar in many ways to Tag Rugby (See the Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_Rugby for details) Hence the new name WHEELCHAIR TAG RUGBY.

Wheelchair Rugby League was created by Robert Fassolette and Wally Salvan at Rugby Vichy X111 in France in 2004. (See the French web site at http://www.rugby13fauteuil.fr/en/index.htm
 
The Wheelchair Sports section of the Rugby League club visited Australia in the summer of that year to launch the sport there.
 
In July 2005 the team visited England to introduce the sport here. Following a demonstration at Stoke Mandeville, Rugby Vichy X111 Section Handisports played two games against the Cardinals Wheelchair Sports Club, of West Yorkshire, the first at Whitcliffe Mount, Cleckheaton, the second at North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax. A further demonstration of the new sport took place at Pinderfields Hospital Gym, Wakefield.
 
The team ended their historic tour with a meal at The George Hotel on Wednesday, July 27th 2005, paying tribute to the historical events taking place there in 1895.

The sport is unique in wheelchair sports in that it is faithful to the rules of Rugby League. Five players in each team score tries in exactly the same way as Rugby League. Conversions are scored by punching the ball from a tee over mini-RL posts. Tackles are made as in tag RL by taking the attached tag or flag. Five tackles are followed by handing over the rugby ball to the opposition. Offside, knock-on and in touch applies as per Rugby League.
 
The sport has taken root in Australia following the French team’s visit there in 2004 and plans are afoot for similar development in the UK.