Germany is Back!

After a three-year hiatus, the German National Team has returned to the Vancouver Invitational.

The 11th-ranked Germans are in Vancouver to prepare for this summer’s European Championships where they hope to qualify for the Paralympics for the first time since 2008.

The Germans have a rich history in wheelchair rugby and have competed at multiple Paralympics and World Championships.

Currently in a rebuilding phase, the team has a number of exciting prospects who will be in action at the Invitational.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Germany is the only European team to have ever competed at the Invitational.

Led by 2014 World Championship all-star Thomas Schuwje, the team finished 6th in 2016. That tournament had an especially tough field that featured Paralympic heavyweights Japan and the United States.



Watch Out For!

Head coach Christoph Werner is bringing a young and hungry team to Vancouver that includes a mix of rookies and established talent. Here are three Germans to watch out for this weekend.

  • Britta Kripke: A skilled defender and powerful picker. Kripke is one of several women competing and thriving at the international level. A veteran of the past two European Championships, she’ll be a key player for the team.
  • Jens Sauerbier: An experienced class 2.0, who will be asked to provide leadership and playmaking for this youthful group. He’s also the Athlete Representative on the IWRF Board of Directors, ensuring that athletes have a say in the sport’s future.
  • Marco Herbst The quick 3.5 class player will likely be Germany’s primary ball-handler. Look for him to have some exciting battles with opposing hi-pointers.
Learn more

To keep up-to-date with Team Germany follow them on Facebook and Instagram

For news about International Wheelchair Rugby including the upcoming European Championships, head over to iwrf.com

Thank You

Thank you to Boston Pizza Ackroyd for their support of the 2019 Vancouver Invitational and wheelchair rugby.

Quebec’s Time to Shine?

Next up in our team profiles is last year’s runner-up Quebec!

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Quebec has been one of the most consistent teams in the history of the Vancouver Invitational frequently placing in the top 3.

Despite never winning the tournament, they did place in 2007 and 2018. Their 2007 team featured an incredible collection of talent including New Zealand Wheel Blacks legend Dan Buckingham, and Canadian Paralympic medalists Fabien Lavoie, Patrice Simard and Daniel Paradis.

New head coach and boccia superstar Marco Dispaltro will look to Lavoie and Simard to help push Quebec over the line this year.

Watch Out For!

In addition to longtime stars Lavoie and Simard, Anthony Létourneau is another name that you should know. Since making his national debut in 2017, the 23-year-old from Boisbriand has continued to improve. His speed and strength make him a great secondary option for Quebec.

Yanick Racicot is another Quebec player who has worn the Maple Leaf. This year, he was part of the Canadian teams that traveled to Rugbymania in Prague and the King Power Quad Nations in Leicester. Racicot is an agile defender who can turn with the best of them.

Quebec’s opens their tournament against the Ontario Thunder on Friday at 1:30pm.

Learn More

To learn more about Quebec wheelchair rugby, check out Parasports Québec.

Thank You

Thank you to viaSport and Richmond Sport Hosting for their support of the Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament.

Thunder and Lightning

A storm is coming to the Richmond Olympic Oval, as the Ontario Thunder and Lightning are set to strike again in 2019.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Ontario athletes have always competed at the Vancouver Invitational. For the first seven years they played on mixed Wheelchair Rugby Canada teams with players from Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Starting in 2007, Ontario began sending provincial teams to Vancouver. Many wheelchair rugby stars have represented Ontario in Vancouver including:

Last year, Ontario became the second Canadian provincial team to win the Vancouver Invitational. Following that great win, they now have their sights on repeating and securing a 1-2 finish.

Watch Out For

After winning MVP in 2018, Mike Whitehead will once again lead the Thunder’s attack. The national team veteran and TEDx speaker has a commanding physical presence and superb passing skills that make him impossible to ignore on the court.

For the Lightning, look out for Matt Debly. The 24-year-old is part of an exciting group of young players for Team Canada and will certainly light up the scoreboard for the Lightning. His high-intensity style of play is sure to energize even the most casual of fans.

You can watch the Thunder and Lightning in action live, March 8-10th at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Learn more

For more information about Ontario Wheelchair Rugby, visit the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association


Thank You
Thank you to the Sheraton Vancouver Airport for their continued support of the Vancouver Invitational and wheelchair rugby.


Portland at the 2019 Vancouver Invitational

Next up in our team profiles is another USQRA team, the Portland Pounders.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Portland has been the most dominant team in the tournament’s history. Led by U.S. Paralympic gold medalists Seth McBride and Will Groulx, the Pounders won seven consecutive titles from 2007-2013, only losing one match during this time.

In addition to McBride and Groulx, Portland’s dominant run featured a revolving door of other international stars including:

The team has recently transitioned into a D2 club. However they’re still a strong threat in the lower division and will look to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss to Seattle.

Watch Out For!

Jake Wheeler: A big and powerful player for Portland who should be one of the team’s primary threats. He was a try-scoring machine at last year’s tournament and also dished out a number of big hits on opposing players.

Player/Coach Kip Johnson won Best Picker at last year and was a key player on several of the title-winning teams. Opposing players will aim to avoid his pick at all times.

Learn more

To learn more about the Portland Pounders and follow the team, check out their Facebook page.

Thanks to Pomme Natural Market and Clif Bar who will be supplying snacks to keep all the athletes fueled up and ready to go.

Alberta’s two teams!

Next up in our team profiles are the two teams from Alberta.

Alberta Roughnecks (D1)

Alberta are on the rise. They finished in 2nd at the 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Championships and will look to do one better and make a statement at the Invitational.

Wheelchair rugby is booming in Alberta and all of their A Team players have experience with the national or NextGen programs.

Watch Out For!

The Dynamic Duo: Zak Madell and Branden Troutman

These two are FAST!!!!

Speedy Zak Madell led Team Canada in scoring at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics. Although retired from international play, the silver medalist from Okotoks is still one of the country’s most talented rugby players. Defenders will have to keep their hands on their wheels to have any hope of keeping up with his pace.

His running mate is 20-year-old Branden Troutman. The youngest member of the Canadian wheelchair rugby team is fresh off winning a gold medal with Alberta’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2019 Canada Winter Games, and should deliver many exciting plays.

Try not to blink when watching this team, or you might miss a try!

Alberta Bighorns (D2)

Alberta also has a D2 team in the competition. The Bighorns have a number of newer players and will be aiming to improve on last year’s 4th place finish.

Para- rower Kyle Riva is a recent convert to wheelchair rugby and is a rookie to keep an eye out for.

Fun Facts
  • Alberta’s best ever finish at the Vancouver Invitational was 3rd in 2017.
  • Alberta has the most women competing at the Invitational of any province with four. Kendall Winter and Ashley Munroe on the Roughnecks and Kasey Aiello and Lana Cicko on the Bighorns.

Thank you to ChairStuff and BC Rehab Foundation for their support of the Vancouver Invitational.

Hello Seattle

First up in our team profiles are our neighbours to the south, The Seattle Slam Wheelchair Rugby Club.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Seattle is the only team other than BC to compete at every Vancouver Invitational. Our southern neighbours have a rich history at the tournament. They won back-to-back D2 title in 2008 and 2009 and won last year’s D2 Championship in 2OT vs Portland.

In addition to their successful D2 campaigns, Seattle has also been a D1 contender. From 2015-2017, Japanese import and world champion Daisuke Ikezaki led the team to three top-four finishes. During this run, the Slam posted impressive victories over established teams like Germany, BC and Quebec.



Watch Out For?

Seattle’s captain and head-coach Jeremy Hannaford is one to look out for. However, as a picker, his impact might not be obvious to the casual fan.

Hannaford’s a tough defender who does a fantastic job of opening up lanes for his teammates and clamping down on opponents.

The Slam won’t have one clear go-to scorer. Instead, they have four or five guys who will all be expected to carry the ball and make decisions, whether that means firing off a pass or turning on the jets and burning someone for the try.

Seattle’s full roster is available here

Fun Facts

  • Seattle are currently ranked 21st in the United States Quad Rugby Association
  • They used to be called the Seattle AllNight
  • For the 2018/2019 season, Seattle imported BC’s Andrew Davis for their domestic competitions. Canadians Rod Bitz and Fabien Lavoie have also played for the team in previous years.
  • The Slam are partnered with the Seattle Saracens Rugby Club (Will we see some of them in the stands?)


Learn more

For more information on the Seattle Slam, you can follow them on Facebook here.

To stay up-to-date on all things Vancouver Invitational and Wheelchair Rugby, keep checking this site. Additionally be sure to follow BC Wheelchair Sports on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more content leading up to and during the tournament.







Mark Your Calendars for the 2019 Vancouver Invitational.

High-octane Wheelchair Rugby action is returning at the Richmond Olympic Oval from March 8-10, 2019 for the 20th Annual Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament.

The three day event will see intense competition across two divisions and feature teams from Canada and the United States, as well as the German National Team.

Confirmed teams for the 2019 Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament are as follows:

D1

  • Team BC
  •  Alberta
  •  Ontario
  • Quebec
  • Germany

D2

  • BC Development
  • Alberta
  • Seattle Slam
  • Portland Pounders

The tournament organizing committee has also received letters of intent from the following D1 teams

  • Ability360 Phoenix Heat
  • USA At-Large Team

We are still looking for more D1 Teams. Interested teams should contact Tournament Director Kevin Bowie by email at kevin@bcwheelchairsports.com  for more information including a registration package.

For more updates on the Vancouver Invitational and wheelchair rugby in BC, be sure to bookmark this page and follow BC Wheelchair Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Last Day at the Vancouver Invitational

We had an awesome final day at the 2018 Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament. Things got off to a great start with Team-B winning the opening game of the day. Jeff Scott helped Rod “The Bod” Bitz and prospect Brandon Perger get their first win of the tournament over the Alberta club that had beaten them on Saturday afternoon.

Rod Bitz, 2018 Vancouver Invitational
You want to take Rod’s ball? Nobody takes Rod’s ball.

In the afternoon, BC-A just couldn’t keep up with Alberta’s A squad, but the tournament provided some very good looks of up-and-coming prospect Joel Ewert. On the other court, the Seattle Slam won a very narrow victory in double overtime against the Portland Pounders. This USQRA standoff was a highlight of the tournament and drew a large and loud crowd. Seattle manages to leave the tournament unscathed with a 4-0 record.

Thanks to Nando’s for providing today’s (awesome) lunch.

Athletes eating Nando's at the 2018 Vancouver Invitational
Heck yes.

The final match of the game featured Team Ontario and Team Quebec; both clubs are stacked with Canadian national players looking to hold bragging rights over one another. Quebec managed to stay right alongside Ontario for the first half, but Ontario’s longer bench allowed them to dictate the tempo and control much of the play though the 2nd. Congratulations to head coach David Willsie and his squad for their A-division tournament victory.

At the conclusion of the tournament, awards were given to Kip Johnson of the Portland Pounders (Best Picker), Jeff Scott of Team BC (Most Heart), Trevor Hirschfield of Team BC (Clutch Performer), and, of course, Patrice Simard of Team Quebec as the Vancouver Invitational’s Most Valuable Player.

We could not put on a tournament of this calibre without the generous aid of our supporters. We can’t thank them enough for being part of the parasport community, and are in their debt. Thanks so much to Postmark Brewing, Ceilis Modern Irish Pub, Viasport, Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, Richmond Sport Hosting, Hollister International, Chairstuff, Save On Foods, Clif, Cobs Bread, Freshii, Nando’s, Murphy Bautista, the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, Costco, Superstore, Canadian Tire, and, of course, we would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.

Thank you all, and we look forward to seeing you again at the 2018 Canada Cup Wheelchair Rugby Tournament.

Day 2 at the 2018 Vancouver Invitational

The second day  of the Vancouver Invitational saw the conclusion of pool play and the semifinals.

Division 1

In Division 1, Ontario continued their undefeated run by dispatching Quebec 51-42 in their final pool game. They booked a trip to the final with a convincing 52-35 win over the hosts from BC in the semis.

Alberta got their first win of the tournament against BC. After trailing at the end of the first quarter, Zak Madell and the Roughnecks upped the defensive pressure and won 48-32.

The Roughnecks couldn’t keep the momentum going in their semifinal against Quebec. The game was close for most of the way but, Quebec wore down Alberta as the game went on, and used a strong fourth quarter to propel them to a 55-49 win and set up a rematch with Ontario for gold.

The Quebec-Alberta semifinal was the closest match of the tournament so far. It was very physical and several players hit the floor.

Team BC is still looking for their first win, but this up-and-coming side has played their bench in every game and is making strides as the tournament goes on. They’ll have one last shot at a win tomorrow against Alberta for 3rd place.

Division 2

The Seattle Slam remain undefeated and have the largest point differential of any team in the tournament at +. Their lack of hi-pointer hasn’t slowed them down as player/coach Jeremy Hannaford has his team executing at a high level.

Seattle will be joined in the final by the Portland Pounders who they beat earlier today 47-25.Portland have relied on a number of newer players at this tournament and they’ve responded well. The Pounders beat BC-B 47-25 in their opening game of the day and then finished strong with a 40-32 win over the Alberta Bighorns in the semifinals.

The Alberta Bighorns were a much-improved squad on Day 2. The arrival of Ken Hicks and the leadership he brings made a huge difference. He helped the team to their first victory as they rallied past BC-B 49-31.

BC-B will have a rematch with Alberta B on Sunday at 9:30am as they search for a win. Their rookies are getting valuable experience as the team tested out a number of line-ups and combinations.

Thanks to Hollister for their support of the Vancouver Invitational. Check them out for all of your personal care needs.

Follow BC Wheelchair Sports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and our very own liveblog (Court 1, Court 2) for updates on tomorrow’s finals.

Day 1 at the Vancouver Invitational

We had a great start to the Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament. Lots of people checked in on our liveblog, we got a shout out in the Daily Hive, and the Georgia Straight recommended us as a thing to do on Saturday.

Zak Madel and the Vancouver Invitational listed in the Georgia Straight
I, for one, demand Zak Madell grow his mohawk back.

Team Ontario had an impressive start; they put up 55+ points in each of their games, winning both with wide differentials. Mike Whitehead looked as solid as ever, and this veteran lineup has never looked stronger than under the leadership of Coach David Willsie*.

Team Québec also had a strong showing, winning both of its games with a deep lineup. They’ll face Ontario at 11:30 tomorrow morning, and I’d expect nothing less than a thriller from these two well-acquainted clubs.

Both BC teams had a rougher start. Despite the A team featuring the cheering squads of both Jessica Kruger and Joel Ewert, the A team was unable to find a win against Ontario or Quebec. They’ll face off against Alberta tomorrow morning.

Both USQRA clubs proved successful in the B division, winning their respective games in the midday slot. The Portland Pounders and the Seattle Slam will face off at 1:30 in the afternoon. This is the same time BC-B will play AB-B. I actually can’t tell you where to be for this one. Watch them both.

Shifting eyes.
Hannaford…or Holton? Wilson…or Wheeler?

Thanks so much to Freshii! Located right near the Olympic Oval, they helped provide athletes and volunteers some great (and great for you) lunch to get this tournament going. Community support at its finest.

*Despite making no typos to the contrary, Dave Willsie would like to remind you that his name has two Ls. He’ll pretend he saw one, but he didn’t.