Plympton’s Faye West has helped the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team to a silver medal in the European Championships.
Faye, who has been training at the West Country Hawks Wheelchair Rugby Club since 2012, was selected as part of the 15-strong GBWR squad back in December and headed out to France to represent GB Wheelchair Rugby in the European Championships. Faye was the only woman on the team and was the only representative from West Country Hawks, who are based at Plymouth Life Centre.
Commenting on her selection, Faye said:
“It is a huge honour to be selected for GB, I am super excited to get stuck in and be part of an awesome squad. I can’t wait to start my rugby career at the Europeans – what a competition to have a debut!”
As one of the only full contact disability sports and one that is also open to men and women competing on the same team, wheelchair rugby is a must-see event at every Paralympic Games.
The GB team won all their pool matches, defeating Poland, Germany and the Netherlands to reach the semi final where they comfortably beat Denmark.
Having won the Paralympics Gold Medal in 2020, Great Britain were favourites to win the final against host nation France. After a poor start GB fought back, but were edged out by just one point by the French.
Success for GBWR has not just been at Paralympic level – the sport has enjoyed growth across its clubs, a key area of focus over the coming years. And it’s paying off. Faye was one of five new players in the GB squad all of whom had come through the GBWR Talent Pathway, demonstrating the commitment to developing the next generation of players.
GBWR chair, Ed Warner said:
“Our success in Tokyo has deservedly brought more attention to this amazing sport and we are intent on using this increased awareness to further build our profile, introducing wheelchair rugby to more people, supporting the sport nationally at grassroots level and building our communities.
“Our mission statement is to lead, promote, grow and support wheelchair rugby for the enjoyment of all and I believe our new brand identity positions us as a world class governing body that is on a mission to set the standard in participation, performance and promotion in disability sport.
“This design concept, created through a collaborative approach in consultation with our players, coaches and clubs, ensures wide ranging appeal which in itself demonstrates the unique qualities of the sport and the energy that comes from within us all.”
GBWR chief executive Jason Brisbane added:
“We are hugely proud of the team’s success at Paralympic level.
“They have truly set a standard in disability sport and led the way to victory despite the significant barriers we have faced – perfectly demonstrating that no matter the challenge, the momentum is positive.
“We are very excited for the future of wheelchair rugby, celebrating both our Paralympic and community champions.”
