BC WHEELCHAIR SPORTS WINS BID TO HOST WORLD RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPS Canada Gets the Nod Over Great Britain January 18, 2008 Ottawa - BC Wheelchair Sports Association (BCWSA) and the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (CWSA) have won the bid to host the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships from September 16 - 25, 2010, in Vancouver defeating Great Britain in the process. "This is truly rewarding," says Kathy Newman, Executive Director of BCWSA. "We had plenty of experience putting this bid together and after losing the chance to host the world wheelchair basketball championships, we were determined to make this one a winner."   The United States are the reigning world champions after defeating New Zealand 34-30 at the 2006 World Championships in Christchurch, NZ while Canada took the bronze with a 23-19 win over Great Britain. "We want to keep the momentum going after Whistler/Vancouver hosts the 2010 Paralympic Games," adds Cathy Cadieux, Executive Director of CWSA. "Fans of Paralympic athletes will get the chance to watch one of the most exciting sports in the world." There will be 12 countries and 144 athletes competing over six days of competition. The World Championships will take place at the signature legacy venue of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Richmond Olympic Oval. Wheelchair rugby is a sport created in Canada, by Canadians, for athletes who are quadriplegic.  With mechanics and rules borrowed from team handball, ice hockey and basketball, wheelchair rugby is the only full contact sport played in sports for athletes with a disability. Developed by three Canadians from Winnipeg, Manitoba including BC's own Duncan Campbell, wheelchair rugby was the fan favourite at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia and in Athens in 2004. BCWSA is a not-for-profit organization devoted to providing opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities. Since being founded in 1971, the association has worked to provide access to quality programs for athletes with disabilities. This has always been the focus and continues to be what drives the association. In partnership with other Provincial Wheelchair Sports Associations across Canada, BCWSA is dedicated to promoting wheelchair sport and community awareness. The Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (CWSA), founded in 1967, is a national sport organization representing wheelchair athletes. It is an incorporated, not-for-profit, organization recognized by Sport Canada. In addition to its role as a developer of elite athletes, CWSA is a national and international voice for Canadian wheelchair athletes.  CWSA also provides a national link for the development of wheelchair athletes and sports, at all levels and in all areas of the country. For more information contact: Kathy Newman, Executive Director, BCWSA 604-737-3091 or knewman@bcwheelchairsports.com Gail Hamamoto, Director of Sport Development, BCWSA 604-737-3195 or gail@bcwheelchairsports.com Cathy Cadieux, Executive Director, CWSA 613-523-0004 or ccadieux@cwsa.ca