There was plenty of crashing and bashing on the Echuca South courts as players from the Murray River Razorbacks Wheelchair Rugby Association rolled up for their regular come-and-try day.
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The sport, known affectionately as ‘murder ball’ when it first started out, has grown to become a regular feature on the Echuca-Moama sporting calendar.
The Razorbacks host a session every month at the Echuca Basketball Stadium, and association founder Christian Brackley said everyone was welcome to come down and have a go.
“We are an all-inclusive club in Echuca, so we make sure whoever comes along gets to have a bash,” Brackley said.
“Friends, family, kids, older people, abled, disabled — you name it, everyone gets a bash.”
Wheelchair rugby is played on a basketball court, with competitors attempting to carry the ball across the goal line while their opponents attempt to block them — literally by crashing into them.
The sport is played by both women and men, and Brackley said he thought it was great for health and mental wellbeing, while also being a fun social event.
Brackley is one of the founders of the Razorbacks, with the group having started five years ago.
“It started out with myself wanting to do personal training. I started playing seven years ago down in Melbourne so I thought I better do some training,” he said.
“I asked a few boys if they were interested in doing some training and they asked me if I could get some chairs, we got some on loan from Disability Sport and Recreation, and a few mates turned up and through word of mouth we have expanded into our own association.”
The Razorbacks have grown to have eight permanent competitors, with some of the sport’s biggest names a regular feature at their monthly sessions.
“We have had a few Paralympians and a few guys from Melbourne come up and participate in the come-and-try days,” Brackley said.
“When they get the chance to play, they will go out of their way to come up here, which is great.”
Brackley himself also plays in Melbourne, making the journey to the big smoke every Monday to compete for his side, the Melbourne Unicorns.
He loves the sport, and said it was important to have it played in regional communities.
“I love it. It’s the best sport in the world, I reckon,” Brackley said.
“It’s a great group of guys and girls, and then comes the smashing and bashing and the strategy and ball skills — it’s smash-up derbies, a game of chess and having fun all at the same time.
“I’m a glutton for punishment. By the end of the game you can’t feel your arms because they are burning so much, it’s good.
“There are a few of us who play down in Melbourne now from country Victoria. We have been able to generate the sport and make it accessible from here, because it is a big drive going down to Melbourne.
“Having it accessible to the regional community is a really good thing.”
Brackley said Campaspe Shire Council and Disability Sport and Recreation had been fantastic in supporting the association.
“We applied for a grant through Para Sport and we were sponsored for five all-round sports chairs and they can be used for rugby, basketball, tennis and badminton. They have been a big asset to our club,” he said.
“All the court funding has been coming from Disability Sport and Recreation Victoria, and that has been a big asset.
“The Campaspe Shire got the courts lined for our sport, they put down the keys on all three courts.
“They were stripping the courts a few years ago, and we thought it would be good to have a key down, because usually if we have a competition we have to put tape down.
“We approached the shire and the stadium and within an hour they said yep, no worries. And when we went to play they had done all three.“
He said Echuca’s facilities put it in a great position to be able to host one of the sport’s biggest events.
“Not only do we have one, we have three courts. And there aren’t many venues in Australia that have the keys painted on their courts,” Brackley said.
“The stadium can facilitate holding the nationals. It definitely is a goal for one day, and we endeavour to hold nationals in Echuca.”
Brackley gave a shout out to the members of the association, especially those that help out every month, as well as Disability Sport and Recreation for helping cover costs.
“We have a few able-bodied people come down and give us a hand and they jump in the chairs too, but if it wasn’t for them coming down and giving us a hand — getting the chairs out from under bleachers, pumping up tyres and fixing tubes — if it wasn’t for those guys helping out as well, we’d be struggling.”
For more information, check out the Murray River Razorbacks Wheelchair Rugby Association on Facebook.