The second World Wheelchair Rugby Sports Science and Sports Medicine Conference in partnership with the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport will bring together practitioners, coaches, medical staff, and students interested in sports science, medicine, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, and coaching. This activity is planned to be held the 7 December 2022, between 09:00 – 15:00 BST, an Online modality.

About this event:

This virtual event will cover insights in sports science and medicine by experts from the world of wheelchair rugby covering topics on: skill acquisition, talent development, performance analysis, equipment design, injury and illness, coordination impairments in wheelchair rugby and more.

Event Programme:

Session 1:

9.00 – 9.15 Introduction to the Symposium, Professor Vicky Tolfrey and Richard Allcroft
9.15 – 9.25 Introduction to Wheelchair Rugby Australia/ Paralympics Australia, Dr Ross Pinder
9.25 – 9.50 Talent development in Paralympic sport & implications for wheelchair rugby, Dr Nima Dehghansai
9.50 – 10.05 The role of skill acquisition in talent development, Dr Ross Pinder
10.05 – 10.20 The role of performance analysis in talent development, Lewis Quinn
10.20 – 10.35 Equipment design, Dr David Haydon
10.35 – Close Q&A with Panel

Session 2:

13.00 – 13:15 Introduction to symposium session 2, Professor Vicky Tolfrey and Richard Allcroft
13.15 – 14:15 Athletes with coordination impairment (cerebral palsy) in wheelchair rugby, Dr Viola Altmann
14.15 – 14:45 Injury and Illness in Wheelchair Rugby, Professor Wayne Derman
14.45 – 15:00 BREAK
15.00 – 15:45 Concussion Management in Wheelchair Athletes: Importance of Baseline Testing, Dr Kenneth Lee
15.45 – 16:20 Considerations for the female wheelchair rugby player, Dr Mary Dubon
16.20 – 16.30 Final remarks and close, Professor Vicky Tolfrey, Richard Allcroft and Dr Viola Altmann

Organisers and speakers:

  • Prof Vicky Tolfrey, Director of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport (PHC), Loughborough University
  • Richard Allcroft, President of World Wheelchair Rugby
  • Members of Paralympics Australia: Dr Ross Pinder, Dr Nima Dehghansai, Lewis Quinn, Dr David Haydon
  • Professor Wayne Derman, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Dr Viola Altman, one of the most experienced WWR Classifiers in the sport and Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Rehabilitation at Loughborough University
  • Dr Mary Dubon, Pediatric Sports Medicine and Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Physician at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital/Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Nick Webborn CBE, Chair at British Paralympic Association (TBC)
  • Dr Kenneth Lee, Spinal Cord Injury Division at Milwaukee VA Medical Centre
  • Supported by Ellie-May Storr, Research Assistant and Information Officer of the PHC at Loughborough University and Jordan Fenton, PHC Doctoral Researcher.

More information on: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/phc/science-of-wheelchair-rugby-2022/