Quad Rugby at Abilities Expo
Members of the United Spinal Jets quad rugby team––co-sponsored by United Spinal Association and the New York Jets NFL football team—will be presenting exhibition games at the Abilities Expo in Edison, NJ on Saturday, April 22 at 11:30 am and 2 pm. and on Sunday, April 23 at 1 pm. Joining the Jets will be members of the Connecticut Jammers and Magee Eagles. Quad rugby, a Paralympian sport, is a variation of rugby played by quadriplegics in specially-adapted wheelchairs. The United Spinal Jets, the Jammers, and the Magee Eagles are among 40 teams represented by the United States Quad Rugby Association.
Interest in the sport of quad rugby has been fueled by the Academy Award-nominated documentary, MURDERBALL, which chronicles the lives of several members of the United States and Canadian Paralympic quad rugby squads as they meet in preliminary and Paralympic matches at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece. MURDERBALL star, Keith Cavill, is a member of the United Spinal Jets.
With the addition of fresh new players like Cavill, and under the leadership of team Captain Damon Rozier, the United Spinal Jets hope to restore their national ranking. “We’ve been practicing twice a week and presenting clinics and demonstrations around the tri-state area to drum-up support for this awesome team,” said Rozier. “We hope that this hard work will provide us the resources to sponsor our own tournament in the fall and compete at national events. We’ve got the talent––we just need the financial resources!”
The appearance of the United Spinal Jets at the Abilities Expo is made possible by the generosity of Questex Media Group, Accessible Vans and Mobility, LLC, and United Spinal Association.
The Abilities Expo/New York Metro is dedicated exclusively to educating and improving the lives of people with disabilities, senior citizens, their families and caregivers, and health care and education professionals. The three-day event will take place at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison, NJ from Friday, April 21 continuing through Sunday, April 23, 2006. For more information about the Abilities Expo/New York Metro call (800) 385-3085 or visit www.abilitiesexpo.com
United Spinal Association, celebrating its 60th Anniversary this May, is a national membership organization serving people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Guided by the belief that the benefits of athletic competition are no different for athletes with disabilities than for the able-bodied, the Association sponsors a wide variety of wheelchair recreational and adaptive sports programs. Membership in United Spinal is free and open to all individuals with spinal cord impairments.