MEDIA RELEASE

Northridge Knights Compete in CSUN Quadriplegic Rugby Tournament

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2008) — Quad Rugby, Murderball and Wheelchair Rugby aren’t exactly names of a friendly no-contact sport. For members of the Northridge Knights quadriplegic rugby team, it’s an aggressive sport that rivals the intensity of hockey and is not intended for the faint of heart.

As one of eight teams, the Northridge Knights, which includes Cal State Northridge students, will take part in the United States Quadriplegic Rugby Pacific Sectional Tournament on March 7-9 at CSUN. The tournament is jointly sponsored by Cal State Northridge’s Department of Kinesiology, Athletics and Associated Students Recreation.

"Quad rugby is a fast paced, full-contact wheelchair sport that is played on a modified basketball court by individuals who have lost some degree of function in all four of their limbs," said Elizabeth Slator, professor in CSUN’s Department of Kinesiology. "Since 2000, it has been recognized as an official sport by the Paralympics Committee, and is perhaps the fastest growing and most popular wheelchair sport today."

Winners of the tournament will go on to represent the region in the national championships on April 11-13.

"This eight-team tournament represents one of the culminating events in an arduous six-month-long season," said Slator. "Only the top three teams will move on to represent the region in the D-I National Championship held in Louisville, Kentucky."

Quad Rugby dates back to 1979, when a team from Winnipeg, Canada, organized an exhibition at the regional track meet held in Minnesota at Southwest State University. The first U.S. quad rugby match was an exhibition game at the 1982 National Wheelchair games. In 1988, the United States Quad Rugby Association was formed to help regulate and promote the sport.

Since its introduction, quad rugby has grown to become an international sport, with teams now competing around the globe. Currently there are more than 45 organized teams in the U.S., with as many as 20 international teams.

Mike DeYoung, a senior urban planning and development major at CSUN, is the captain for Northridge Knights and has played on several United States teams which have traveled internationally to compete.

"Quad Rugby is a very intense sport," said DeYoung. "There is a lot of contact involved. Players are strapped into their wheelchairs and play for close to an hour and a half straight and risk flipping over or even rolling."

It was seven years ago, during a snowboarding accident, that DeYoung sustained neck injuries causing him to lose function in all four limbs. He underwent intensive rehabilitation for two months re-learning everyday skills. It was during this time that he learned about quad rugby.

"While in the hospital, some of the guys from the Northridge Knights came in to tell me about the sport," he said. "During that time, I wanted nothing to do with anything related to a wheelchair."

Several years later DeYoung changed his mind, began to play and earned his way to team captain while improving his strength and endurance. He discovered rugby to be a source for unique physical and mental exercise as well as the opportunity for camaraderie.

"Being able to play with people who are going through the same issue gives you a chance to talk and relate with one another. Not everyone understands what you are going through," he said.

To be eligible for participation, players must have a combination of upper and lower extremity impairment. Players are given a classification number from 0.5 – 3.5, with 0.5 having the greatest impairment and 3.5 having the least. This rating is important to the game because only four players from each team are allowed on the court at one time, and the classification of the players must not equal more than eight points. Teams include both men and women.

The tournament will begin on Friday, March 7, from 12:30 to 9:30 p.m., and will resume on Saturday, March 8, from noon to 6 p.m. It will conclude on Sunday, March 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the championship game at 12:30 p.m.

All games will be held on the activity courts in Redwood Hall, except for the Sunday championship game, which will be held in the Matadome, located on the east side of campus.

Slator encouraged the public to come, promising they won’t be disappointed.

"The game has all of the elements of sport that people love—it’s action-oriented, high scoring, intense, and aggressive," she said.

For more information, contact Slator at (818) 677-3205. For additional information on Northridge Knights, visit www.northridgequadrugby.org.