And we are off!!

To celebrate the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the first home game of the season, and welcoming Colchester to National 2 East, Canterbury Hellfire is bringing Wheelchair Rugby to the Marine Travel Ground for the very first time. Players, Members, Supporters, and Sponsors are all invited to come and see the incredible fast pace, hard hits, and amazing skills that come together in Wheelchair Rugby as a thank you from Hellfire for your support over the years.

Wheelchair Rugby is normally played indoors on a basketball court but to shake things up Hellfire along with many of the very best Wheelchair Rugby players from across the South East of England will be playing outside. In another first we have spare chairs and all the kit needed so you too can become part of the team, you don’t need a disability to be part of this extraordinary event. You will even get coached by 2012 Team GB Captain and Hellfire Lead Coach Steve Brown and Brighton Coach and former Hellfire member Omar Foster.

Tip off (the Wheelchair Rugby version of a kick off) is at 12:30. Get strapped in and come and be part of our amazing #OneClub experience.

Saracens WR5 London development Tournament

As rugby people the names of Saracens and Harlequins are well known. To watch the rugby union teams play is normally full on, fast, furious and inspiring. Now imagine taking the same team names by a small, relatively new wheelchair team – that was Hellfire’s task on Saturday 25th November 2023, a date that will be ingrained into their memory for a very long time.

On a cold wintry feeling morning the Hellfire squad gathered at Saracan’s high school to compete against Brighton Buccaneers, Crawley Jet’s, Harlequins Jesters and our hosts. Just seven Hellfire players, a few parents and carers and me as Hellfire Chairman, sat in our designated changing room sharing a mixture of excitement and a small amount of fear.  But, head coach, Steve Brown, fired everyone up, got the team prepared and ready to show what we can do. 

The first of four games was against our old rivals Brighton Buccaneers. Their coach Omar Foster wished us luck and a nervous team got the day started. Yes, there were a few errors but we kept up with the fast pace that Brighton always brings but we couldn’t secure the win and the final score was Brighton 19 – Canterbury 13.

Back in the changing room and every bit of fear was gone. It was a highly charged, if slightly tired, Hellfire squad. Next game Harlequin Jesters!

Harlequins had a large squad, 11 in total, most of whom had been playing for a while in other teams. They are a new team but they have attracted experienced players and have a good coaching team. Their pace, skill and teamwork was well practiced and they certainly had a few moves that we will be rehearsing in the near future. 

As many Hellfire followers will know our squad is relatively green, but we have our own, not so secret weapon in the form of former Team GB captain Steve Brown. Steve tried every trick in the book, and many that have never been in any play book, which in turn earned him a few trips to the sin bin for his creativity. 

One positive that deserves a mention is that picker Louisa Nerssessian, another of our relatively new players, had, what was described as an Eureka moment, when things learnt during training and doing repetitive drills suddenly clicked, leading to her first ever try in Wheelchair Rugby. Both Steve Brown and I had a proud coaches feeling that makes all the hours put in worthwhile and we got to play against a true household name!

We kept it close in the first half but a combination of fatigue and lack of playing experience lead to a final score of Harlequins 24 – Canterbury 12 but a few new moves we added to our skill set and we were certainly much more of a team at the end of the game than at the beginning. 

During the lunch break our changing room was a buzz of “did you see me do this” and “I think I can do that” as well as quite a few good humour digs at our Head Coach for spending so much time in the sin bin. All things that just about every rugby team who have ever existed do when they are a bonded close team. A few bumps and bruises were showed off with pride and the eagerness to get more was brilliant to witness. 

The toughest game was number three against a well drilled, undefeated and highly experienced Crawley Jet’s. Trevor Garson’s team knew what they were doing, had key players in the right place at the right time, each and every time and raced away to a 21-6 win. It may have been the third loss of the day for Hellfire but every single player saw moves that inspired, learned new ways of looking at how to play and saw our head coach return to the sin bin. 

The fourth and final game of the day was entered into with the same positive excitement as the first was. 

Canterbury playing Saracens, I will let those words hang in the air for a moment. 

I am betting every adult player in Canterbury would dream of wearing a Canterbury shirt and play against Saracen’s. As an able bodied person even I wished I had a qualified disability to take part in what we believe is the first time any Canterbury adult side has taken on the great name of Saracen’s. OK, OK, I admit I am a Saracen’s fan. I was way more nervous than any Hellfire player showed. Smiles and a let’s do this attitude on every face. 

Just six Canterbury players took on a fourteen strong Saracen’s squad. Again, we almost had them in the first half. Nothing negative could be said about any single Hellfire player, they truly gave it everything they had. They worked as a team. They pushed as hard as I have ever seen them push. They past the ball with the best precision they have all day. They marked their opponents just like they were asked. They just couldn’t get that elusive win and the final score Canterbury 12 – Saracens 17. The game felt so much closer than the final score would lead you to believe. 

We were the underdogs. We were the smallest team. BUT, everyone commented on how we got on with the job, how much our team are coming on, how quick Bethany Ferne is and how much time our head coach spent in the sin bin. We will continue to grow and the more games we have where we are pushed the better we will become. 

Canterbury Hellfire Team Sheet

Hellfire

Hellfire hasn’t gone cold

It seems like a lifetime ago when the country was in lock down and the way we did things changed overnight. But thankfully most things returned to the new norm quite quickly. In the world of wheelchair rugby, however, it has taken a little longer. But finally on February the 19th 2023 after months of having to train in a small and new group Hellfire got wheels on, gloves on and relit the fire at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the home of the Paralympic movement.

A team of five new hopefuls and team captain Steve Brown took to the court for the very first time as a team, with some generous support of an experienced player from each of the three other teams taking part in the tournament to help make up the numbers. The first game against Brighton Buccaneers started off with quite a few nerves, a few glances at Steve for advice but very quickly the smiles formed, the tries scored, the turnovers won and a final score of 9-15, a win for Hellfire!

As the day progressed with the help and support from the other teams taking part as well as sage advice, experience and leadership from former Team GB captain Steve the team started to grow more and more as each minute of the game clock counted down. The next two games were really positive and a lot was learned by our fledgling team members. The heats ended with one win and two losses.

The final game of the day for us was a play off for third and fourth place featuring a highly experienced team with a full bench of substitutes and just six Canterbury Hellfire members cheered on by their family. The loan players from other teams had returned to their original teams but after the first five minutes the whole stadium, all the other teams and all of the supporters we transfixed on the underdog side who not only held their own but we’re starting to believe they could actually win. The cheers from the crowd grew with each try scored by each team until with four minutes of match time left the scores were level. The banging of wheels grew louder as both teams were hitting harder and harder. The calls for the ball from both teams had to be shouted over the noise coming from the crowd. The clock counts down to zero and the score are dead level!

Players from both sides, coaches and supporters were all asking the same question “what happens now?”. Finally, word reached the bench that there would be a playoff where the first team to score two tries in a row would win. There would be no time limit. Whilst the players took a quick water break and tried to control the adrenaline the coaches and family realised that the whole room had stopped what is was doing, staff from the host venue had come in to see what the noise was all about and now everyone was watching. The clocks are reset, the whistle blows and it’s a point for Brighton, then a point for Hellfire, back and forth it goes like an epic Wimbledon final. The noise is truly inspiring, the smiles, enjoyment and confidence from both teams is clear to see. The effort and energy being found as each phase is played now feels limitless; and then the moment comes. A try scored by Canterbury Rugby to take the lead, a fumble from Brighton, a quick smash and grab (literally) and a sprint for the line for Hellfire and a deafening cheer as two wheels cross the line to secure the win and third place in the tournament.

Players: Steve Brown (c), Owen West, Tolga Sasmaz, Bethany Fearn, Sawyer Wright, Archie Beaumont.

Coaches: Ian Lloyd & Jack Lloyd.

Special thanks to Dave Mannings and his team for their help with Logistics and to the travelling families, who are all an essential part of the Hellfire squad.

GBWR 3v3 League: Tournament One

On June 18, at Stoke Mandeville stadium, Canterbury Hellfire burst back into action after an extended break including, and surrounding, the COVID-19 pandemic by participating in the newest format of wheelchair rugby – 3v3.

The focus of this 3v3 format is to encourage low-point players to have to carry the ball and play a different part of the game to that which they are accustomed.

This was the first of three tournaments which make up this league, and the results were phenomenal for the Canterbury side: four wins, one loss.

They opened the day’s play with a maximum score of 25 to defeat Stoke Mandeville Maulers WRC, and the same pace carried to the second game winning 14 – 2 over Mavericks.

The third match of the day was close, being brought into overtime by a try scored by Canterbury with 0.2 seconds still showing on the clock, and possession for the restart in the hands of the black & amber, giving a third win to the Canterbury side.

Fourth up were Ospreys WRC who played well and made sure to give their all against the starting-to-tire Canterbury side, but were no match for the expertise of Canterbury and were eventually beaten 23 – 16.

Finally, after a day of double duty for all three Canterbury players playing both 3s and 5s, the fatigue set in and the only other team to be as-yet-undefeated was last up – West Country Hawks WRC. Going into the game both teams were unbeaten, both teams had won with a maximum score, however that closeness in performance to that point would have to be broken: there would have to be a winner; and that winner was Hawks.

All teams involved in the 3s tournament provided an excellent atmosphere and enjoyed the experience of something new, and we would like to thank all our opposition for travelling from all over Great Britain and providing a great day of rugby.

Thank you to our players for representing Canterbury so strongly, sports is largely decided by performance on the day and the performance delivered was the standard we all strive to throughout Canterbury Rugby Club.

 

Teams in the league are:

Canterbury Hellfire WRC
Mavericks
Ospreys WRC
Stoke Mandeville Maulers WRC
Team Solent Sharks
West Country Hawks WRC
Hellfire taster session

Hellfire return to play

After not getting into their chairs since March 2020, Canterbury Hellfire were able to start their rebuilding program with the first of three taster sessions held at the Medway Sports Centre Gillingham. A lot of effort was put into getting the session promoted on the back of GB’s Gold medal in Japan and this was rewarded with potential new players trying the sport for the first time and enjoying the afternoon exercise.

The event was supported by England’s lady prop forward Shaunagh Brown who showed the sort of determination that has led her to win two 6 Nations Championships with England during the country’s lockdown.

Omar Forster and Steve Brown coached the afternoon and set the pace perfectly for the existing players whilst involving the new players in every drill that they had planned.

Wheelchair Chair Brian Pitchford said “Canterbury Rugby Club is branded as a #OneClub Community Club and this event showed this working at its best with club President Greg Mayne, former President John Scurr, Lifetime member Ian Lloyd and club member Jack Lloyd, all giving up their Sunday afternoon to load up 15 rugby wheelchairs in the backs of their cars and driving to Gillingham (the long way round due to works on the A2) just so we could play and welcome new members into the fold, thanks should also be said for Shaunagh, who has supported us as a club and promoted the event over her many social media followers.”

The final word should go to one of the new players who when asked did they enjoy the afternoon replied, “I’m totally knackered but I loved every minute of it and will be back.”

Our next taster sessions are:

Wednesday 22nd September: 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm at the Medway Sports Centre, Gillingham

Sunday 24th October: 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm at the British Legion Larkfield, Maidstone

Come and join us!