Help Ireland to the Powerchair Football World Cup

Hello friends, we are now under 100 days to go before the Republic of Ireland Powerchair Football team departs for Sydney Australia and the FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup 2023. We are still looking for your help and support in the run-in for the remaining weeks as we still need to cover costs for getting the official gear, sports insurance, and some other team-related costs.

It has been a monumental challenge to get the squad in a position to participate at this World Cup with very expensive travel costs and participation fees, but through the efforts of the families and some key support and previous kind pubic donations here on our GoFundMe page, we do have seats on the plane and are ready to follow our Women’s National Team to make the nation proud at a World Cup on the other side of the world.

For those of you unfamiliar with our sport, Powerchair Football is a unique sport that provides opportunities for people with a high level of impairment to access the game of football. It is the only active team participation sport for people who use electric wheelchairs or those who have limited movement in a manual wheelchair, and it’s usually played on an indoor court - similar in size to a basketball court - with matches consisting of two teams of four players each and a ball. The sport is fast-paced, dynamic and very enjoyable to watch. What’s more, the unique nature of powerchair football allows all ages, disabilities and genders to compete together. And as a result, it helps build key life skills such as teamwork and improved communication.

We formed the Association of Irish Powerchair Football (AIPF) back in 2009 with one simple mission; to organise social and competitive playing opportunities for players and their families and ensure that the sport is as accessible as possible for all who want to take part in it. So far, we’ve been able to build teams of passionate and self-motivated individuals who despite their various conditions such as muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy, to name a few, have been able to conquer different tournaments including winning bronze in the EPFA European Nations Cup 2019 and qualifying for the World Cup, which will take place in October 2023 in Sydney’s Olympic Park.

Our goal has always been to represent Ireland at the highest level on a world stage and we have finally gotten the opportunity to do so. As much as this is a great accomplishment, it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our team which consists of 8 players, coaching staff, and a support team including players' assistants and carers to create memories and inspire other disabled people in the communities that they too can achieve great things on a global stage.

We are looking to raise another €10,000 to get us over the line with the remaining costs. Kindly stand with us and be part of something big having contributed to helping us achieve our dream of playing in the world cup and hopefully winning it. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for your support and please remember that every donation helps no matter how big or how small.