Quadriplegic Rugby at Trinity
By now you know the story. Unfortunately, funding became more and more of an issue for both the men and women’s rugby teams at Trinity through the 80’s. Few attempts were made to start up a team over the years, but none of them were very successful. Finally in 1991, rugby leaves its footprints at Trinity again, but this time instead of footprints, it would be better described as “wheel prints.” In 1991, many students participated in “Quad Rugby,” or rugby for quadriplegics. While this game is obviously not played the same way as traditional rugby, it is an alternative for those that are physically challenged but seek the roughness of the game. Quad rugby involves players from both sides having to get a ball past half court on a basketball court. They are allowed to pass the ball to each other and there are no rules prohibiting contact by wheelchairs. One student who played the sport commented in the Trinity newspaper, “I've gotten a couple bruises and even been knocked on my back a couple of times. It just makes you want to get up and try again” (Ortiz, 1991). Just one year prior, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was enacted which prohibited discrimination against Americans with disabilities. I would argue that this enactment helped empower and bring to light the idea of Quad Rugby at Trinity. According to Collins, “Wheelchair rugby was a mixed sport that for the first time allowed men and women to play rugby seriously together” (Collins, 2015).