Made of Steel: Wheelchair Rugby’s Fiercest Rivalry - Storyville

[Man of Kent]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001r9zl

Back in November 2022, England played host to the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. The unflinching action and raw passion on display took many new fans by surprise, and as the tournament progressed, audience numbers - both in the stadiums and those watching on television - began to build in a moment of important visibility for the sport.

This film tells the inside story of the world's two best wheelchair rugby league teams, England and France, with privileged access to each side's progress through the tournament towards a potential winner-takes-all meeting in the final.

Following players from each squad both on and off the pitch also introduces us to the varied characters who play and coach this demanding sport, discovering the circumstances that brought them to the game and hearing about the often different philosophies they have on the subject of who should take part. 

Made of Steel is a story of grit, sacrifice and determination... but above all about a fierce sporting rivalry between two teams who were both intent on coming out on top.

Release date: 10 October 2023

1 hour, 16 minutes

[arcticchris]

Sounds fantastic. Thanks for highlighting this. The wheelchair event was arguably the biggest success of the entire World Cup and it is heartening to see that the BBC are seeking to build on that success with this documentary and showing the England vs France game in November at Leeds Arena.

[gogledd]

I'll look forward to seeing the documentary. Should be great viewing. Thanks for the heads up

[corvusxiii]

A good Storyville is as good a TV programme as you will get. I'm thinking this will be very good indeed.

[Futtocks]

Bump. You can also watch the RL Awards Night on OurLeague from 9:15 this evening while you wait for this documentary to begin.

[Futtocks]

Watching this and being reminded why Jack Brown was such a star, on and off the pitch.

[corvusxiii]

Thank Goodness for IPlayer. Looking forward to it. What do people think about the programme? 

[Futtocks]

Just now, corvusxiii said:

Thank Goodness for IPlayer. Looking forward to it. What do people think about the programme? 

Good stuff so far, centred around the England and France players. No spoilers!

[dkw]

That French coach whining about the game being violent and Simpsons interviews didn't come over well at all.

 

[Futtocks]

Just now, dkw said:

That French coach whining about the game being violent and Simpsons interviews didn't come over well at all.

You're getting the chance to hear two views of the current state of the game.

The French coach is basically implying that England were fielding fully non-handicapped sides, which is an offensive and provably untrue smear.

[dkw]

4 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

You're getting the chance to hear two views of the current state of the game.

The French coach is basically implying that England were fielding fully non-handicapped sides, which is an offensive and provably untrue smear.

Yeah bang out of order, combined with that absolute moronic linesman it's not great.

Even just then he had to get a stupid dig in, totally unnecessary.

[Futtocks]

1 minute ago, dkw said:

Yeah bang out of order, combined with that absolute moronic linesman it's not great.

Even just then he had to get a stupid dig in, totally unnecessary.

It probably explains the linesman, if the French coach had been having a word in his ear before the game.

He was a bad loser - his players were not and deserve better.

[Odsal Outlaw]

A good documentary. Enjoyed it. And I think it’s good they showed the French perspective, it’s reality. I wish they’d not omitted the linesman incident for that same reason.

But great to hear more of the players stories and what the sport means to them.

[arcticchris]

Just caught up and watched it. Really good and the French players came across very well although unfortunately their coaches and management seemed to get stuck in an attitude issue of their pure vision being the only acceptable way of the game.

 

Inspiring to see the way personal traumas were turned into motivation to find new opportunities to live a full life.

[gogledd]

I've been inside the Wales Wheelchair RL Team camp at two World Cups as their team manager. I've also attended the pre-game meetings with other team managers and tournament directors. In fairness France have held the same view in regards to the disability aspect of the sport and would go down the disability classification route if they could get agreement .... and they expressed their view at all the pre-tournament meetings.

I don't think Wheelchair Rugby will go down that route purely because of its inclusivity.  In the 2022 World Cup Wales had 12 player - 10 men, 2 women, our youngest player was just 18 and our oldest in his 50s, all players bar 1 had some disability...from cerebral palsy to photosensitive epilepsy....and that for me makes it the game it is.

It was great to see the back story of the players, my only complaint was, it would have been nice to see some of the other teams in the competition, Scotland, USA and Ireland never even got a mention, but I accept the story was about the top two teams and it made great viewing.

Edited October 12, 2023 by gogledd

[arcticchris]

55 minutes ago, gogledd said:

I've been inside the Wales Wheelchair RL Team camp at two World Cups as their team manager. I've also attended the pre-game meetings with other team managers and tournament directors. In fairness France have held the same view in regards to the disability aspect of the sport and would go down the disability classification route if they could get agreement .... and they expressed their view at all the pre-tournament meetings.

I don't think Wheelchair Rugby will go down that route purely because of its inclusivity.  In the 2022 World Cup Wales had 12 player - 10 men, 2 women, our youngest player was just 18 and our oldest in his 50s, all players bar 1 had some disability...from cerebral palsy to photosensitive epilepsy....and that for me makes it the game it is.

It was great to see the back story of the players, my only complaint was, it would have been nice to see some of the other teams in the competition, Scotland, USA and Ireland never even got a mention, but I accept the story was about the top two teams and it made great viewing.

Appreciate all your posts on the wheelchair game. It’s such a good thing to have someone with your insights contributing on the forum.

 

A few questions if I may.

1. Do the French have any players who would be regarded as fully able bodied?

2. Might it address some of the concerns about inclusivity becoming marginalised if it was mandated that all 10 players in the match day squad had to play at some point in the match?

3. What are the main things that need to happen to narrow the gap between England/France and the other countries and how to get to a position where the next World Cup can feature 12+ teams?

[unapologetic pedant]

5 hours ago, gogledd said:

In fairness France have held the same view in regards to the disability aspect of the sport and would go down the disability classification route if they could get agreement 

This matter is presumably pertinent to possible Paralympic acceptance and related funding issues?

[gogledd]

5 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

This matter is presumably pertinent to possible Paralympic acceptance and related funding issues?

Its a possibility but not the most important matter to the French. I thinks they'd be happier if the rules were reviewed so that able-bodied players had to adapt their play so that they wouldn't have an advantage over regular wheelchair users or players with disabilities that effect their movement.

[gingerjon]

11 minutes ago, gogledd said:

Its a possibility but not the most important matter to the French. I thinks they'd be happier if the rules were reviewed so that able-bodied players had to adapt their play so that they wouldn't have an advantage over regular wheelchair users or players with disabilities that effect their movement.

Something similar to the points system for team building that (I think) is still in use for Paralympic wheelchair basketball?

[gogledd]

10 hours ago, arcticchris said:

Appreciate all your posts on the wheelchair game. It’s such a good thing to have someone with your insights contributing on the forum.

 

A few questions if I may.

1. Do the French have any players who would be regarded as fully able bodied?

2. Might it address some of the concerns about inclusivity becoming marginalised if it was mandated that all 10 players in the match day squad had to play at some point in the match?

3. What are the main things that need to happen to narrow the gap between England/France and the other countries and how to get to a position where the next World Cup can feature 12+ teams?

1. Not sure. When teams submit team sheets prior to a game they coaches mark players as AB (able-bodied) or LM (limited movement  - these players can tap their wheels to restart and score. They wear armbands to signify that they have limited movement). Its not just the able-bodied players that France are concerned about, its any player (who may have some disability, e.g. epilepsy) who has more mobility than a regular wheelchair user.

2. The only mandate at the moment is that there must not be more than 2 able-bodied players on the pitch during any part of the game. That can mean you have 5 non-wheelchair users playing, which the French perceive as an advantage. I'm sure that the French would like to adapt the rules to ensure more consideration was given to players with spinal injuries and regular wheelchair users, or players with amputations or limb disabilities.

3. I can only answer from Wales perspective - funding and professionalism. In the World Cup England had a coaching staff of 11, Wales permanent staff was 4 (including the media manager!); Wales recruited a physio for the tournament and we were allocated a doctor and a chaplain. England and France would include strength and conditioning, video analysis, etc. England would hold weekend training camps in St. Georges Park, whereas Wales would meet at most once a month in a sports hall prior to the World Cup. England are well funded in comparison to the celtic nations and the set up is on a more professional basis. For our World Cup in 2017 all our players and staff self-funded (£1500) to play and had to take leave from work....you can imagine how this effects squad choice! Fortunately for the World Cup 2021 all players were given pro-rata payments for the first, and so far, only time. Wales staff (apart from the media manager) are unpaid.

Wheelchair Rugby League is growing internationally, Brazil have expressed interest and Norway were due to play in 2021 but pulled out due to difficulties emphasised by covid. In my opinion the tournament organisers need to ensure sufficient funding is in place for travel and participation as well as payment for players.

Edited October 13, 2023 by gogledd

[gogledd]

16 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Something similar to the points system for team building that (I think) is still in use for Paralympic wheelchair basketball?

I think the French would support that. The other viewpoint is that limits inclusivity, for example Jack Brown started playing Wheelchair Rugby league with his brother,as there was no other sport where disabled players could play with able-bodied players at the same level. I've come across this many times with Wheelchair Rugby League....in fact we now have a situation in Wales where a mum and daughter play for Cardiff Blue Dragons and her husband and son play for Torfaen Tigers! I've always leaned towards inclusivity but I do have some sympathy for the French viewpoint. If Wheelchair rugby could adapt the rules in a way that doesn't give an advantage to one set of players then I think there could be a compromise/.

Edited October 13, 2023 by gogledd

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, gogledd said:

I think the French would support that. The other viewpoint is that limits inclusivity, for example Jack Brown started playing Wheelchair Rugby league with his brother,as there was no other sport where disabled players could play with able-bodied players at the same level. I've come across this many times with Wheelchair Rugby League....in fact we now have a situation in Wales where a mum and daughter play for Cardiff Blue Dragons and her husband and son play for Torfaen Tigers! I've always leaned towards inclusivity but I do have some sympathy for the French viewpoint. If Wheelchair rugby could adapt the rules in a way that doesn't give an advantage to one set of players then I think there could be a compromise/.

It is something of a minefield and there are many good points made by everyone on all sides of the debate. You have to believe compromise is possible because, ultimately, everyone seems to want, in good faith, an inclusive exciting sport to grow.

[Leyther_Matt]

The documentary was a great watch (as I knew it would be) and this thread is similarly interesting.

The French skipper is a proper inspiration, and didn’t necessarily seem to share the thoughts of his coaches with regards to the rule interpretations etc. It did strike me as though the French were just unhappy that they weren’t having it all their own way and almost akin to taking their ball home, although @gogledd’s viewpoint above is infinitely more informed than ours and a lot more measured compared to the rest of us!

I must say that the RLWC Wheelchair final was one of the finest sporting spectacles I’ve ever attended and an experience that I’ll never forget. 

[gogledd]

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

The documentary was a great watch (as I knew it would be) and this thread is similarly interesting.

The French skipper is a proper inspiration, and didn’t necessarily seem to share the thoughts of his coaches with regards to the rule interpretations etc. It did strike me as though the French were just unhappy that they weren’t having it all their own way and almost akin to taking their ball home, although @gogledd’s viewpoint above is infinitely more informed than ours and a lot more measured compared to the rest of us!

I must say that the RLWC Wheelchair final was one of the finest sporting spectacles I’ve ever attended and an experience that I’ll never forget. 

I first met Robert Fassolette, the French Team Manager in 2014 or 2015 when we played France in a European tournament and again in 2017 when France hosted the Wheelchair Rugby League World cup. As in the documentary he was always passionate in his advocacy of Wheelchair Rugby League and as one of the founders of the sport saw his role as the guardian of the spirit and ethos of the sport. He's always advocated the sport for disabled athletes and those with able bodies to comply with the rules to ensure a fair game between all athletes. The French are unhappy that the sport has, in their viewpoint, changed to be disadvantageous to disabled athletes whose movement is impacted by their injury or disability. That has been their viewpoint for some considerable time and not just in 2022. There's definitely more to it than just unhappy and not having their own way.

I have to agree with you that the RLWC2021 Wheelchair final in Manchester was a spectacular experience. It was fast furious and got the crowd absolutely enthralled; the atmosphere was electric. I hope many of those who went to the final watched the documentary and discovered more about the people who play the sport. My utmost respect is always for the athletes who play the game.

[Damien]