Wheelchair Rugby is returning to the birthplace of the Paralympic Games this weekend with the opening fixtures of the Super Series Division Two season taking place at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

Eight teams will go wheel-to-wheel on Saturday and Sunday with 20 matches scheduled across the weekend.

2017/18 Champions West Coast Burn will start their title defence with a game against Gloucester Titans, who will look to improve their bottom half finish last season.

Darlington Mowden Park Bulls will be readjusting to life in Division Two following relegation from Division One. They will face recently promoted Ulster Barbarians in the opening match of the weekend.

Barbarians are a side from Northern Ireland who enjoyed an unbeaten season to clinch promotion from Division Three in 2017/18.

North Wales representatives RGC will be joined by fellow countrymen Ospreys from South Wales as well as Plymouth-based West Country Hawks and Glasgow’s Caledonian Crushers.

It is a free event for spectators and a great chance to witness this hard-hitting Paralympic spectacle first hand. The full schedule can be accessed via the link at the bottom of the release with games taking place from 9am on both Saturday and Sunday.

 Paul Arnold, National Development Director of GBWR said: “This weekend marks the start of the new Wheelchair Rugby competition season for the GBWR national Division Two.

“Wheelchair Rugby is returning to the birth place of the Paralympic games, which makes it a special event for all in the sport. All of us at GBWR hope the players have a fantastic tournament, we would also like to thank all our sponsors, especially Roma Sport and Lloyds of London insurance industry, without who’s support, we couldn’t put on such a brilliant event.”

The Super Series is the domestic competition in the United Kingdom that features the best players from the UK and across Europe. Comprising of three divisions, the Super Series events take place at venues across the country usually from Autumn to Spring, culminating in the National Championships, which will be held in Leicester in 2019. The Super Series is a long running competition and has grown to a 20-team, three-division format.

Picture courtesy of GBWR, with thanks.