Newark, NJ–The United Spinal Association Jets quad rugby team will play an exhibition match of this fast-paced sport for wheelchair users on Friday night, October 12th at the Branchbrook Park Roller Rink, 7th Street and Clifton Avenue in Newark.
The Jets inter-squad rugby match will take place during the intermission of the womens Roller Derby bout between the hometown favorite Ironbound Maidens and the Wilmington City Ruff Rollers. This is the last home game of the season for the Maidens as they strive to become a member team of the WFTDA—the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. Doors open at 8:00 PM and the Roller Derby bout is on at 9:00 PM.
Quad rugby players are individuals who have a combination of upper and lower extremity impairment. The sport is contested in wheelchairs that are built for speed, for maneuverability, and for their ability to withstand a collision—because quad rugby is a contact sport!
Each quad rugby team fields four (4) players, who are classified using a point system based on their functional level. The game is played on a standard basketball court, and a volleyball is used to score points when a player carries the ball over the back line of an 8 meter wide goal. While the offense is trying to advance the ball, the defense is trying to take it away. The player with the ball must pass or dribble it within 10 seconds, or a turnover is called and the ball is awarded to the opposing team.
Basketball tactics such as “setting a pick†and hockey techniques like “checking†are what cause most quad rugby collisions, and extreme excitement for fans. Don’t miss Friday night’s roller derby bout and quad rugby action!
