Team USA Wheelchair Rugby League

Wheelchair Rugby League is currently an emerging sport. Only a handful of nations play the game with France, England, and Australia having established domestic competitions. Wheelchair Rugby League was developed by Frenchmen Wally Salvan and Robert Fassolette in 2000, originally as a form of rehabilitation. As it began to grow as a sport, the French toured Australia in 2004 and introduced the game to England in 2005.

Acknowledged as a fast and exciting spectator sport, the Wheelchair Rugby League Association in the UK expanded the game despite the competition from already established team sports such as wheelchair basketball and murderball or Quad rugby. The catalyst for the sports’ recent increase in popularity was the successful 2008 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, organized by the New South Wales Rugby League. This has led to an increase in participation not only in the UK but in other nations as well. Wheelchair Rugby League is unique amongst wheelchair sports in its faithfulness to the rules of its sport of origin, rugby league. It is also extremely inclusive as it can be played by teams of mixed sexes, mixed-age groups, and both able-bodied people and those with a range of disabilities.

In 2019 by Carolina League Academy, during the Carolina's Festival, introduced their own accessible Rugby League and won the bid to compete in the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (postponed) and being held in 2022. The USA Wheelchair Team is representing the United States of America hence Team USA has been born. The Rugby League World Cup will take place in England, and this go fund me has been created to alleviate the domesticated costs to players; for but not limited to travel/ flights /hotel/vehicles, accommodations, team equipment, official uniforms, caregiver flights, spare parts for wheelchair repairs, venues and so many other associated costs that come with flying a team of adaptive athletes abroad.

Although we've received tremendous support from the RLWC, we still have domesticated costs in which we are responsible in raising these funds.

Here is your 2022 USA Wheelchair Rugby League Squad for the RLWC:

Jeff Townsend (Captain) | Born: Jan 30th 1979 | Hometown: Anderson, SC

Jesse Lind (Vice-Captain) | Born: Aug 22nd 1980 | Hometown: Jamestown, NY | Resides: Little River, SC | Veteran: Marines

Mackenzie Johnson | Born: May 8th 1997 | Hometown: Greenville, SC | Resides: Charlotte, NC

Micah Stewart | Born: Jan 14th 1997 | Hometown: Charlotte, NC

William Johnstone | Born: Nov 25th 1968 | Hometown: Canajoharie, NY | Resides: Hope Mills, NC |

LaVern Anderson | Born: Nov 4th 1970 | Hometown: Myrtle Beach, SC | Veteran: Army

Freddie Smith | Born: June 16th 1972 | Hometown: Wilmington, NC | Resides: Leland, NC | Veteran: Army

Hyoshin (Gabi) Cha | Born: Feb 12th 1986 | Hometown: Jonesboro, GA | Resides: Houston, TX | Veteran: Army

Andy Kingsley | Born: Feb 26th 1990 | Hometown: Athol, MA | Resides: Myrtle Beach, SC | Veteran: Army

Matthew Wooloff (UK/USA Heritage) | Born: Dec 5th 1993 | Hometown: Ormskirk, Lancashire | Resides: Newport, Wales

Jabrier Lee | Born: Sept 12th 1992 | Hometown: Whiteville, SC | Resides: Loris, SC | Veteran: Air Force

Jensen Blaine | Born: May 31st 2006 | Hometown: Fayetteville, NC

Alternates:

Tony LeBoutillier | Born: July 15th 1984 | Hometown: Westbrook, MN | Resides: Columbia, SC

Justin Mathers | Born: April 19th 1992 | Hometown: Dallas, Texas | Resides: Fayetteville, NC | Veteran: Army

Check us out on the web for business sponsorship details or to learn more about the adaptive programs we've created to support the community:

Click here for a link to our website (www.usawhrl.com)

Click Here for tournament Link ( https://rlwc2021.com/tournament/wheelchair-tournament)

The USA WhRL national team is managed solely by Carolina League Academy (CLA); a registered state/federal non-profit 501(c)3 set up in 2018 to be the only inclusive sporting organization in the USA with a commitment to supporting people with a disability. USARL (Governing Body) Director of WhRL & RL Development, Juan Jasso is also USA WhRL General Manager and is supported by the wider team at CLA.

All operations are based out of the team HQ in Columbia, South Carolina. We also have our WhRL facilities located in Irmo, SC that we have used to host exhibition games and national team combines to date.