Women's Premier League

Cardiff Metropolitan University has today announced the coaching team for their Wheelchair Basketball High Performance programme.

Rosie Williams and Tom Guntrip will join forces as co-Head Coaches to lead the programme, which includes the inaugural Women’s Premier League team, the first of its kind for women’s wheelchair basketball in the world. In collaboration with British Wheelchair Basketball, the HPP will also support the development of GB athletes and the growth of the sport at university level.

Rosie’s involvement in the game began as a player and then in 2017, Rosie was appointed team manager of the GB U24 Women’s squad and has led the team to become 2018 European Champions and Bronze medallists at the 2019 World Championships. Rosie is also the Assistant Coach of the Team UK Invictus Games squad, supporting wounded, injured and sick service personnel’s rehabilitation journey.

In addition to this, Rosie is involved in the Welsh programme, developing a talent pathway for Women and Girls ensuring they are able to reach their full potential. This includes working with a squad who are building towards qualification for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Rosie studied an undergraduate degree in Sports Coaching Science with Disability Sport, and a postgraduate degree in Sports Coaching at the University of Worcester. Following her studies Rosie began working with athletes to support their personal and professional development alongside their competitive sporting careers as a performance lifestyle advisor for Sport Wales.

Rosie Williams said:

“Women’s wheelchair basketball is continuing to flourish, with our national team ranked second in the world and the launch of the first-ever women’s Premier League. It is an honour to be appointed to this exciting role at such an exciting stage in the women’s game.

“My experience in high performance sport demonstrates my commitment to developing athletes who succeed both on and off the court to the highest level. Cardiff Met Archers shares this ambition and has reaped success at all levels of the game for decades. 

“Now it’s time to get the ball rolling and start building towards the inaugural women’s Premier League season!”

Tom is a familiar face within the Archers programme, having coached within the club since 2016. Tom has occupied the role of Head Coach and Assistant Coach, working within the men’s and women’s programme at BUCS and National league level. This includes some time with the WBBL team and more recently as Associate Head Coach for the Division 2 men.

Tom has also been involved with national teams having been with the Welsh programme since 2016 and gained valuable experience with GB Basketball as a performance analyst in 2017.

Tom studied both his undergraduate degree in Performance Analysis and his Masters in Sports Broadcasting at Cardiff Met.

Tom Guntrip added:

“I’ve loved my seven years with Cardiff Met Archers so far, and to have the chance to contribute to our new Women’s Premier League team is an incredible opportunity.

“After learning about the goals for the team and the programme, I knew this was something I wanted to help with and contribute to.

“British Wheelchair Basketball has been one of our most successful teams across any sport in the Olympic and Paralympic setups and to work with players and coaches who have succeeded at the highest level isn’t something to think twice about.

“I love the game of basketball, what it teaches people and what it stands for, and I hope that alongside Rosie we can build something special here.”

Sarah Wagstaff, Head of Basketball at Cardiff Met, said:

“We are so pleased to announce our coaching staff for the programme and know we have two great people who will complement each other very well.

I am really excited for this duo to come together and lead the programme and cannot wait for us to build our team further and get started”.

Haj Bhania OBE, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Head of Coaching and Tactical Development, said:

“The joint appointment of Rosie and Tom will provide a really positive dynamic with both coaches bringing their own experience, knowledge and perspective to the roles of co-head coaches.

“Rosie’s knowledge and experience of wheelchair basketball through her coaching roles and Team Management within the GB Performance Programme will be invaluable, likewise Tom’s knowledge of University sport, the programme at Cardiff Met Archers and national team coaching roles should make for a strong partnership in supporting and developing athletes and the team.

“We look forward, as with all our High Performance Partnerships, to working with Rosie, Tom and Cardiff Met Archers and their Women’s Premier League team to create the best possible environment and pathway for athletes and coaches.”

Press Release: Cardiff Metropolitan University

To find out more about BWB’s High Performance Partnerships, including athlete study and playing opportunities, visit www.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/womens-premier-league.

Loughborough University has secured a major coup with the appointment of Great Britain’s George Bates as Head Coach of the new Lightning Wheelchair Basketball team.

Leicester-born George has played the sport professionally since 2014, including spells in England, Italy, and Spain.

He has also represented Great Britain at under-23 and senior level and was part of the GB team that won the World Championships in 2018 and the European Championships a year later in 2019. 

George will lead the Loughborough Lightning side as it embarks on its first season in British Wheelchair Basketball’s inaugural Women’s Premier League – the first league of its kind in the UK.

Speaking about his appointment, George said:

“I’m really excited about the new role as this is a brand-new league and we have the power to create something high-level in this country. 

“I hope my history in the sport will have a positive influence on our players as we look to establish ourselves as one of the best wheelchair basketball teams in the UK. 

“Throughout my career, I’ve always wanted to be the best I can and that will be the same now as I transition into a full-time coaching role. Everyone in sport around the world knows Loughborough and it’s such a draw to train and play here. I can’t wait to get started.”

Nik Diaper, Head of Para Sport, Loughborough University added:

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome George to this role. We are very much on a journey with our wheelchair basketball programme at Loughborough and to have someone of George’s calibre to take this forward is incredibly exciting.

“His unique insight and understanding of the game at the elite-level, together with his creative ideas, knowledge and passion for the sport mean that George will add significant value to both the programme and Loughborough Sport as a whole.”

Haj Bhania OBE, Head of Coaching and Tactical Development, British Wheelchair Basketball echoed Nik and added:

“It is with great pride that we see George Bates announced as the Head Coach of Lightning Wheelchair Basketball.  To see an athlete of his experience and calibre, with his passion and knowledge for the sport appointed to lead and coach one of the first Women’s Premier League Teams is phenomenal.

“George has first-hand experience of the UK talent pathway, from playing and training with BWB clubs, to competing in the National League, School Games and Junior Championships. He understands athlete development, and how vital Loughborough Lightning’s strong and supportive club environment will be in the development of aspiring and elite athletes.

“For British Wheelchair Basketball, George’s appointment marks what will undoubtedly be the beginning of a hugely positive journey with Loughborough Lightening; we are looking forward to working with our High-Performance Partnerships and our Women’s Premier League Teams to develop the UK’s elite wheelchair basketball coaching talent, so that we can build an exceptional infrastructure of coaching excellence to underpin our UK Talent Pathway.”

The first season of Wheelchair Basketball’s Women’s Premier League will take place from January 2022 – May 2022.

Press Release: Loughborough University

To find out more about BWB’s High Performance Partnerships, including athlete study and playing opportunities, visit www.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/womens-premier-league.

British Wheelchair Basketball has today announced the creation of the inaugural Women’s Premier League. The British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Premier League will be the first of its kind for women’s wheelchair basketball in the world, and the very first professional para-sport league in the UK.

The introduction of the league is a game-changing moment for the sport and will attract the world’s best wheelchair basketball players, signposting the UK as a destination for high level, quality competition for aspiring female talent. The first season will run from December 2021 to May 2022.

The creation of the Women’s Premier League is integral to British Wheelchair Basketball’s 12-year strategy, which set out bold targets of delivering a Professional Domestic League, developing a world- class high-performance system and doubling participation in the sport.

To meet this ambition, British Wheelchair Basketball are also today announcing four High-Performance Partnerships, operating at university sites across the UK. The universities will each be home to a Women’s Premier League team, with franchises based at:

• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Loughborough University
• University of East London
• University of Worcester

The High-Performance Partnerships will be centres of excellence for wheelchair basketball in the UK for both men and women. These Partnerships will develop and nurture wheelchair basketball talent, acting as hubs to incubate and develop future elite athletes and increase access to the Paralympic talent pathways across the UK.

Lisa Pearce, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Chief Executive, said:

“I am absolutely delighted to be announcing the creation of British Wheelchair Basketball’s Women’s Premier League and our new High-Performance Partnerships. The league will provide incredible opportunities for elite female talent, both in the UK and internationally and we expect the teams to attract the best players in the world.

“We have selected four fantastic universities to become the first British Wheelchair Basketball High-Performance Partnerships and these hubs will be absolutely central to the sport as we work to deliver our World Class Performance Programme strategy. They will nurture talent and facilitate the opportunity for world-class athletes to adopt a dual career approach.

“Today is an important moment in achieving our big ambitions for the sport and working with the universities is central to raising the profile of the sport, building new audiences and creating more opportunities for people to play across all levels.”

Great Britain’s Wheelchair Basketball player, Amy Conroy, added:

“The introduction of the Women’s Premier League is massive for the sport and for us as players. Historically there has been a bit of a gap in elite level competition for female players so I’m absolutely thrilled that British Wheelchair Basketball are ensuring we have equal opportunity to develop and flourish.

“The sport is fast-paced and high-octane, and I can’t wait for more people to be able to watch us in action. I hope that it will also challenge misconceptions about disability sport and inspire more people to try wheelchair basketball for themselves.”

The High-Performance Partnerships are now recruiting elite players for their Women’s Premier League teams and their university BUCS teams.

Discussing their selection as one of British Wheelchair Basketball’s High-Performance Partnerships, Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Director of Sport, Ben O’Connell said:

“Following a rigorous application and interview process, we are delighted to be awarded one of the four inaugural High-Performance Partnerships for British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB). 

“This recognition identifies our University as a centre of excellence for disabled athletes and builds on our already well-established partnership with Disability Sport Wales. It is also testament to the quality of our existing holistic basketball programme that sees Men, Women & Wheelchair athletes competing at the highest levels in both National & Student leagues. Working in partnership with BWB, we aim to attract a greater number of students and elite level athletes to Cardiff Met, and support the performance aspirations of the National Governing Body on the global stage.  

“The addition of the HPP is a further demonstration of the University’s commitment to inclusion and diversity and we are excited to increase participation and continue to attract the highest level of disabled athletes as we look ahead to the Paralympic and Commonwealth Games.”

Nik Diaper, Head of Para Sport at Loughborough University, added:

“To be awarded the High-Performance Partnership is testament to the vision, hard work, and dedication we have to Para sport at Loughborough University. The new Lightning team will undoubtedly attract some of the country’s top female sporting talent and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve.”

Dr Ian Pickup, Pro Vice Chancellor, Education & Experience at the University of East London said:

“We feel incredibly privileged to be entrusted with one of the first professional women’s wheelchair basketball franchises in the country. We are now looking forward to building something which East London can really get behind. Women’s sport, across the board, is growing all the time and I am proud of the role that UEL is playing in supporting female athletes.

“The East London Phoenix will be a team that represents the city. I’m sure they will inspire and encourage the next generation of female athletes – and not just wheelchair basketball players – so this really is a landmark moment for us, and sport in London.

“We’ve worked hard over the last decade to turn our sports offering into one of the best in the country, for both elite and recreational athletes, and to now have a franchise is another step on the journey.

“UEL is a university that is committed to providing its students pathways to explore different career options and we have a number of dual-career athletes. A host of players who will represent the Phoenix will be just that, giving them options to not only play elite sport but develop other skills and interests away from the game.”

Professor David Green CBE, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester, added:

“The University of Worcester is thrilled to be able to continue to play an active role in the development of British Wheelchair Basketball. The University was home to the men’s and women’s teams in the lead up to the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio, and hosted the 2015 European Wheelchair Basketball championships, one of the most successful disability sporting events in recent times.

“The University’s work to promote inclusive sport is recognised across the globe and we are therefore delighted to be selected as part of this High-Performance Partnership initiative, which is ground breaking and exciting in so many ways and will certainly provide opportunities to improve elite performance and increase participation generally in the UK.”

To find out more, visit www.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/womens-premier-league.

Rio 2016 Paralympian and World and European silver medallist Sophie Carrigill has been named on the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for Sports and Games, honouring her sporting achievements and commitment to improving inclusion within sport. 

The annual list published by global media company Forbes spotlights the next generation of game changers in the sport and games industries, featuring international athletes from a range of sports and gaming entrepreneurs. 

“I was actually so shocked to find out that I had been listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30, it feels incredible to be recognised in this way and to be surrounded by some incredible game changing athletes,” Carrigill said. 

A leader on and off the court, Carrigill has been a regular member of the Great Britain’s women’s wheelchair basketball team since making her major championships debut as part of the team that claimed bronze at the 2013 European Championships in Germany. 

Carrigill has gone on to co-captain the GB Women’s team at Rio 2016 to its best ever Paralympic Games position of fourth, crowned U25 World Champion in 2015 and was part of the senior Women’s teams that created history, securing silver at both the 2018 World Championships and 2019 European Championships, the highest ever finishes for the GB Women’s team. 

Alongside Carrigill’s achievements on the court, the 27-year-old’s inclusion on the list also recognises the GB athlete’s commitment to challenging the inequalities that disabled people face on a daily basis and passion for improving inclusivity in sport. 

“I’m really focused on trying to improve the inclusivity in the sporting world, by creating more representation at every level, which will hopefully encourage more women to get involved with sport,” Carrigill said. 

“It’s great to see that as a disabled woman, this work has been recognised and will hopefully go a long way in inspiring the next generation of athletes or entrepreneurs. I’m so excited for what this opportunity will bring me.” 

Carrigill’s commitment to participation in sport has seen her have a behind-the-scenes and public-facing role in the launch of British Wheelchair Basketball’s Inspire a Generation programme, a ground-breaking new programme to help double wheelchair basketball participation. 

Away from the court, Carrigill works with a number of charities and is working with The Women’s Sport Trust to support the next cohort of athletes in their Unlocked campaign which unites leading athletes to tackle diversity in sport and change the conversation around Women’s sport. 

The full 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for Sports and Games can be viewed here. 

British Wheelchair Basketball has today launched the next step in its ambitious long-term strategy as BWB begins its search for High Performance Partnerships across the university sector. 

Launching the search for exciting new partnerships for the sport, BWB is inviting the university sector to formally submit an Expression of Interest to work collaboratively with the NGB to support and enable the continued growth of the sport. 

The collaboration will specifically focus upon the development of four ‘High Performance Partnerships’ (HPP) within university settings. The HPPs will be centres of excellence for wheelchair basketball in the UK and will focus on several areas, including developing world-class standard wheelchair basketball athletes, coaches and workforce, encourage a ‘dual career’ approach and supporting the development of leagues and competitions. 

The launch of the HPPs are an important element of BWB’s 2019-2024 strategy and long-term aims, including the first step towards the creation of a Women’s Premier League, the world’s first professional women’s wheelchair basketball league. 

Although the HPPs will have a specific remit of supporting the development of the GBR Performance Pathway, they will also link together BUCS teams and Community Clubs to maximise impact and sustainability across the sport. 

To support the development and growth of the High Performance Partnership, BWB will commit investment into coaching and competitive leagues to ensure these critical relationships are effectively nurtured.  

With today’s announcement coming just weeks after the sport’s formal inclusion into the BUCS Competition Programme for the 2020-21 season, this marks the beginning of a game-changing year for wheelchair basketball and university sport, and the start of exciting new partnerships for the sport. 

The next steps 

Universities have until 5pm on 2nd October 2020 to submit their Expression of Interest to t.shepperson@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk. 

The Expression of Interest document can be viewed and downloaded here.  

A partner briefing is being held at 2pm on 24th September 2020 for any Universities interested in finding out more. Please contact t.shepperson@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk if you would like to attend. 

Great Britain’s Senior Women will continue their preparations for the 2020 Paralympic Games when they take on Japan and Canada in this weekend’s Osaka Cup (14-16 February).

Hosted at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan, the Osaka Cup has become a regular fixture in British Wheelchair Basketball’s international calendar; with the GB Women finishing runners-up in last year’s final against The Netherlands, the World and European champions.

In what will be their first international competition since claiming silver at last year’s European Championships, Great Britain will begin this year’s Osaka Cup at 1am on Friday morning (UK Time) against the hosts Japan; a team they beat 67-25 in a friendly game on Monday.

On Saturday, the Senior Women will be in back-to-back action; taking on Canada (2am, UK Time), before playing their second game against Japan (5am, UK Time). Their final game of the tournament will be against Canada at 1:30am on Sunday morning (UK Time).

The format is double round-robin with the team with the best record at the end of the tournament declared the winner.

As well as taking to the court in competitive action, the players will also take part in a school visiting programme and a wheelchair basketball lesson with local children.

The tournament will mark the end of a busy few weeks for the GB Women with many of the players travelling to Osaka from the Tokyo recce which included a welcome reception at Urayasu City, a friendly win against Japan and a meeting with the UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP.

Commenting ahead of the Osaka Cup, GB Women’s Interim Lead Coach, Dan Price said:

“This will be our first international competition since the European Championships, so it will be a good opportunity to see where we are at, see some of the things we have been working on and face some really good competition against Canada and Japan.

“It’s a wonderful tournament. We are treated phenomenally there; we get a great opportunity to go and visit some schools and give back to the community in Japan. We love going there; they take wonderful care of us and hopefully we will leave there with a better understanding of the things we need to continue to work on.”

GB Game Schedule (all games are UK time)

Friday, 14^th February

v Japan (1am)

Saturday, 15^th February

v Canada (2am)

v Japan (5am)

Sunday, 16^th February

v Canada (1:30am)

How to Watch

All games will be streamed online and can be watched via the following links:

Day 1 – 14 February – https://ytv-athlete.jp/lives/9427

Day 2 – 15 February – https://ytv-athlete.jp/lives/9429

Day 3 – 16 February – https://ytv-athlete.jp/lives/9430

For more information about the Osaka Cup, visit the event website: http://osakacup.org/youkou.html

Follow British Wheelchair Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for results, interviews and game highlights.

The GB Team for the 2020 Osaka Cup

Number / Role	Name	Classification
4	Charlotte Moore	1.0
5	Sophie Carrigill	1.0
6	Michaela Bell	1.5
7	Helen Freeman	4.0
8	Laurie Williams	2.5
9	Bethany Wheeler	3.0
10	Amy Conroy	4.0
11	Madeleine Thompson	4.0
12	Sarah Hope	4.5
13	Siobhan Fitzpatrick	3.0
14	Joy Haizelden	2.5
15	Robyn Love	3.5
Lead Coach	Dan Price
Assistant Coach	Steve Caine
Team Manager	Tara Smith
Physiotherapist	Laura Heathcote
Performance Analyst	Nathan Payne
Team Support	Tom Hignett
Chief Mechanic	Takekazu Okagawa

Paralympians and international medallists will be among 180 wheelchair basketball players competing in Nottingham this weekend (25 & 26 January) as British Wheelchair Basketball’s Women’s League returns to the city for Round 2.

Hosted at Nottingham Wildcats Arena, women from across the UK will compete across two action-packed days of competition, with Sunday afternoon’s Division 1 games available to watch via the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and App.

Featuring GB internationals, including silver medallists from both the 2018 World Championships and last year’s European Championships, the competition will give fans in the East Midlands and across the UK the chance to watch the very best in Great Britain go head-to-head at the start of a Paralympic year.

As well as featuring GB internationals, Round 2 will see players of all ages and abilities taking to the court, including players making their first appearance in Women’s League.

After a thrilling two days of action during Round 1 in December, 20 games will be played in Round 2; with the action beginning at 10am on Saturday, 25 January. The competition continues on Sunday with more fixtures as the four Division 1 teams go head-to-head in back-to-back games, live on BBC Sport, on Sunday afternoon.

Division 1

Angels of the North head into Round 2 top on points difference, after two wins from two during Round 1. The Angels have got the same record of CWBA, who also enter this weekend with a 100 per cent winning record.

The top-two will clash live in front of the live BBC audience at 15:30 on Sunday afternoon in what promises to be a brilliant spectacle. Both teams will have already played games against Blackhawks and Vixens on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

Blackhawks and Vixens will both be hoping to secure their first victory of the 2019/20 campaign in Round 2 with the two teams meeting for the first time this season at 18:00 on Sunday, live on the BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and App.

Division 2

North Wales Knights and London Titans both have 100 per cent winning records after the opening round in December, with North Wales Knights top of Division 2 after three wins from three.

They’re currently one point ahead of Wakefield Whirlwinds who have five points from three games; their only defeat coming against North Wales Knights.

London Titans are on four points after two games, and the Wakefield and London clash will be an intriguing battle in the opening game on court 2 on Saturday morning (10:00).

Leicester Cobras are level on points with London Titans, although The Cobras have played a game more, while Glasgow Rollin’ Rocks have one win and one defeat from their two games, with fixtures against Leicester and The Bears in Round 2.

The Bears and Angels of the North 2 are still searching for their first win of the season, but, one team will be celebrating in the opening match on court 1 as the pair go head-to-head.

Division 3

South West Wales Dragons and Eastern Blue Stars are the only teams in Division 3 to remain unbeaten with two victories from their two Round 1 games, but it’s Wakefield Whirlwinds 2 who sit top of the table with two wins from three games.

Eastern Blue Stars play Wakefield in their first match of the weekend at 12noon on Saturday, while South West Wales Dragons begin with a game against London Titans 2, who have one win and one defeat after Round 1.

Jaguars are level on four points with South West Wales Dragon and Eastern Blue Stars, but Jaguars have played more one game. This weekend Jaguars face Eastern Blue Stars and Plymouth Raiders.

South East Sparks will be looking for their first win, while Plymouth Raiders will make their first appearance in this year’s competition after missing Round 1.

Event information

Venue: Nottingham Wildcats Arena (Greenwood Road, Nottingham, NG3 7ED)

The event is free to attend but entry is ticket-only for the two Division 1 broadcast games on the Sunday. Book your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/british-wheelchair-basketball-12262223895

The following Women’s League fixtures will be available via BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and App (please note the below is tip-off – all games will be live 15 minutes prior to tip):   

Sunday 26^th January 2020: 

15:30    Angels of the North v CWBA

18:00    Blackhawks v Vixens

Watch Sunday afternoon’s Division 1 games live: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/basketball/51129523

A full list of fixtures, results and league tables can be found here: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/womens-league-18-19/