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:

IWRF Hall of Famer, Garett Hickling.
Erika Schmutz, the first woman to score a try in a Paralympic wheelchair rugby match.
5x Paralympian and recent AMI-TV star David Willsie (Willsie will also be playing and coaching this weekend)

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.