Paralympics: Murderball on wheels

Crash! The sound of metal hitting metal reverberates around the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Most people only ever visit here if they are unfortunate enough to have suffered a spinal injury. I can hardly complain. I am merely being beaten up by a man with one leg and no mercy.

People tend to do a double-take when they first encounter the phrase “wheelchair rugby”. That is the sport’s sanitised name – until a makeover it was called “murderball”.

Think wheelchair basketball, but without the baskets. The four players on each side must merely propel the ball from one end of the court to the other, but with one crucial difference: attempted murder. Continue Reading »