How is this rugby?


I really don't see how this sport is wheelchair "rugby."

I didn't see anything in the film, at least, that would indicate a strong relation to the sport. No lineouts, forward passes, different shaped ball... it's got just as many similarities to football or basketball.

Obviously there are some aspects of rugby that couldn't be done in wheelchairs, like a scrum, but there are plent of rugby-related things they could do, but don't.

Who decided that this is rugby?

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The original name was " Murderball " but when sponsors balked they opted for something a little more pc. This was covered in the film.


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yeah, thanks. That doesn't really answer my question.

My point is: why name it after an existing sport when there is virtually no resemblance to said sport?

If they're going to came up with a nicer name to make it more "pc," they may as well give it an original name. Calling it rugby is a total misnomer.

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Your thinking too much.

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The name 'rugby' was chosen to reflect the spirit and nature of the game: a full-contact, aggressive, fast-moving team sport. However you feel about the name, wheelchair rugby has been called wheelchair rugby since the 1980s. That is name of the sport, and it isn't about to change.

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I'm thinking too much? It doesn't require much thought.

All it takes is having seen the film, and knowing a bit about rugby.

Calling it wheelchair rugby is stupid, though.

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How about wheelchair ball of death? ball of doom? flaming ball of doom?

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Or Aluminum Tank Ball ?

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Yeah, really!

And what's with that crap they call "football" in England? They don't even wear pads! And "cricket"? Bunch of guys in white outfits on a field, and not a single chirping insect among them!

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Should more realistically be what's with that crap they call "football" in the USA? They barely ever use their feet and it's barely a ball they use!

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Football was named that because it is played on foot, not because of the kicking aspect.



So what time is it on the moon, anyway?

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WTF has your opinion of the sport have to do with the merits of this film?

Just for your info, the type of disabilities that people who play wheelchair rugby have makes it impossible to extremely difficult for them to throw a ball accurately enough to score in basketball. By definition their hands are at least partially paralysed. Lets see you play basketball with paralysed hands!

The resemblance to rugby is that the objective of this sport is to carry a ball across a goal-line.

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What cracks me up the most is the fact the film has you thinking that either Canada or USA will take out the gold in the paralympics,and then the Kiwis come out of nowhere and beat them both to it haha.Even our cripple do us proud when it comes to rugby!

Brilliant film though.I actually found myself for the first time in ages,cheering for the Yanks over the Canadians,who I found rather irritating in this film.Zupan is the man.

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in regards to the original poster- we had a quad rugby scrimmage at my college in which the rugby teams from our school were invited to play with the guys. My friends who are on [field] rugby teams said its pretty similar. My friends who play quad rugby describe the game in its format, point system, amount of players on the field at a time, etc.. as a combo between wheelchair basketball, [able-bodied] basketball, hockey, and rugby. Quad Rugby was the best term that the sponsors for the game could think of. Zupan explains this in the film.
@Kraftzy: don't call quads cripples. my ex-bf and my best friend are both in wheelchairs and typically people only use that word to demean them or insult them. most people in wheelchairs don't take kindly to people using that word.

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