Old rivalries were renewed during the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships when Team USA met Australia in the Gold Medal match. Strong showings from both teams led to a tie match heading into the half, but by the end of the third Australia was able to force the USA into a 44-46 deficit. After the final buzzer, Australia would come away with the gold after a final score of 55-58, while the USA took silver. Head Coach Joe Delagrave and the team now turn their sights to Paris and the 2024 Paralympic Games, acknowledging there is room for improvement while celebrating another podium appearance.
“We pride ourselves on being a podium team, which is so so hard to do given the level of rugby that was played this week here in Vejle. We came into this World Championship wanting to establish a new culture, a new way to play the game, tonight, we did not play well. We didn’t play well offensively, defensively, and we didn’t have good clock management and we aren’t going to win games that way. We will get better; we have 22 months till Paris and that’s time to build our identity and trust the process. It is amazing what we have achieved in 11 months, I can’t imagine what we will be able to do in double that time,” said Delagrave.
For more information, usawr.org, and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
2022 USA Wheelchair Rugby World Championship Team
Sarah Adam (3.0), Naperville, IL
Chuck Aoki, Co-Captain (3.0), Minneapolis, MN
Jake Daily (2.5) Belleville, IL
Liz Dunn (0.5) Pittsburgh, PA
Lee Fredette (1.0) East Moriches, NY
Joe Jackson (1.0) Maricopa, AZ
Chuck Melton, Co-Captain (2.0) Richview, IL
Eric Newby (2.0) Nashville, IL
Josh O’Neill (1.5) Denver, CO
Kory Puderbaugh (3.0) Boise, ID
Adam Scaturro (1.5) Lakewood, CO
Josh Wheeler (2.5) Tucson, AZ
Staff
Joe Delagrave, Interim Head Coach
Mike Klonowski, Interim Assistant Coach
Meme Earnest-Stanley, ATC
Chuck French, Equipment and Bench Staff
Amy Claire McMurtrie, Dietician
Jim Murdock, ATC/Medical Coordinator
Heather Rennerfeldt, Support Staff
Meagan Rowe, Interim High Performance Manager
Meg Smith, Sports Psychology Provider
About
As the home of USA Wheelchair Rugby, membership is open to all applicable groups including: amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators or officials.
What is Wheelchair Rugby?
Wheelchair Rugby is a sport with roots grounded in wheelchair basketball and ice hockey and was developed by three Canadians from Winnipeg, Manitoba as an opportunity for athletes with quadriplegia to compete. The sport was originally called Murderball due to the aggressive nature of the game. It was introduced to the United States in 1979 at a demonstration at Southwest Minnesota State University. In 1981, Brad Mikkelsen, with the aid of the University of North Dakota’s Disabled Student Services, formed the first team, the Wallbangers, and changed the game’s name from Murderball to quad rugby. Today it is called wheelchair rugby.
In 1988, the United States Quad Rugby Association, now the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association (USWRA), was formed to help regulate and promote the sport on both a national and international level. There are now more than 40 organized teams in the United States with many others in the developmental stage. In addition to the teams in the U.S., there are at least 29 international teams with 20 more in the development stage. Wheelchair rugby is one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world.
Forms and Documents
USA Wheelchair Rugby is committed to providing an equal opportunity to amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators, and officials to participate in amateur athletic competition, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or national origin and with fair notice and opportunity for a hearing before declaring any such individual ineligible to participate.
Lee Fredette has submitted a declaration of candidacy to serve on the Athlete Advisory Council (AAC) during the 2021-2024 term.
- 2022 USA Wheelchair Rugby Administration Code of Conduct
- 2022 USA Wheelchair Rugby Athlete Code of Conduct
- Conflict of Interest Policy for the Lakeshore Foundation National Adapted Sport Organization (LNASO)
- Criminal Background Check Policy for the Lakeshore Foundation National Adapted Sport Organization
- Lakeshore National Adapted Sport Organization (LNASO) Complaint Procedures for National or U.S. Paralympic Teams
- Whistleblower Policy
- Gifts and Entertainment Policy
- 2022 Direct Athlete Support USA Wheelchair Rugby
- Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies
- How to Report a Concern
- 2021-2024 Quad USOPC AAC Election Procedures for Lakeshore Foundation – USA Wheelchair Rugby
- USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council Bylaws
- 2022 USAWR Anti-Doping Notification
- 2022 Training Squad Selection Procedures, Amended May 2022
- 2022 Training Squad Selection Procedures
- 2020 Paralympic Games Athlete Selection Procedures_Amended 6.30.20.
- 2020 Paralympic Games Athlete Selection Procedures Approval Letter_Amended
- 2020 Paralympic Games Athlete Selection Procedures Approval Letter
- 2020 Paralympic Games Athlete Selection Procedures
- 2020 Paralympic Games Staff Selection Procedures Approval Letter
- 2020 Paralympic Games Staff Selection Procedures
- 2020 Staff Code of Conduct
- 2020 Complaint Procedures
- Revised Safe Sport Policy (December 2020)
- Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies
- Athlete Advisory Council Bylaws
- Athlete Advisory Council Election Procedures
- 2019 Staff Selection Procedures
- 2019 Staff Approval Letter
- 2019 Athlete Selection Procedures
- 2019 Athlete Approval Letter
- 2018 Code of Conduct
- 2018 Code of Conduct Addendum
- 2018 Selection Procedures
- 2018 Petition Procedures
- 2018 Complaint Procedures
- 2018 Skills Assessment Document
- 2018 Training Camp and Competition Schedule
- 2020 Lakeshore Foundation 990
- 2019 Lakeshore Foundation 990
- 2018 Lakeshore Foundation 990
- 2021 Lakeshore Foundation Audit Report
- 2020 Lakeshore Foundation Audit Report
- 2019 Lakeshore Foundation Audit Report
- 2018 Lakeshore Foundation Audit Report
- 2017 Lakeshore Foundation Audit Report
- 2016 Lakeshore Foundation Audit Report
- Lakeshore Foundation Bylaws
