Wheelchair rugby: France dream of world title this weekend in Paris

Will France win the Rugby World Cup? We are completely crazy, you say. But no, this is really relevant. By beating Japan this Friday in the third and final group match of the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup, the French have earned themselves a spot in the semi-finals and can still hope for a world title.

Before meeting the Japanese, the fate of the Blues was in their hands. After losing to the USA and beating New Zealand, France absolutely needed to beat Japanese favorites to reach the quarter-finals of this competition played in Paris. Thanks to big play and fantastic composure at the end of the match, the Blues completed their task brilliantly (50-49). Thus, this Saturday at the Georges-Carpentier Hall in the 13th arrondissement, France will face off against Canada and Australia will face off against Japan in the semi-finals. On Sunday the final will take place at the Accor Hôtel Arena (12th century). Tickets are still on sale for 10 euros.

The rules are very different from rugby

Wheelchair rugby, a Paralympic competition since 1996, is very different to the rugby we see at the Stade de France and other fields in France from 8 September. But athletes do not spare themselves. Contacts can be particularly rough and it is not uncommon to find competitors lying on their sides.

One of the main differences lies in the playing surface: after going beyond the long rectangular lawn, these rugby players play on a basketball court. The ball is also not the same since it uses a volleyball. The game lasts four eight-minute periods. Each team can place four players on the field and eight on the bench.

The rules are borrowed from different sports. Thus, in wheelchair rugby, a basketball clock was used because a player cannot hold the ball for more than ten seconds at a time, and the team has twelve seconds to cross the middle of the field and forty to score. A prison was also set up, just like in hockey, to punish players who made mistakes. Finally, unlike rugby, forward passes are allowed. The goal is to earn a point by crossing the opponent’s line. In total, about a hundred points are scored per match.

Paralympic podium in viewfinder

And France are doing well in this little game, with the sixth-ranked Blues hoping to break into the top three to challenge for a podium spot at the Paralympic Games. “France is starting to reach the top league with the Anglo-Saxons and the Japanese,” confirmed Ryad Sallem, a member of the team, at the start of the competition. We are here and will be here for a long time. I think we will have to rely on France to host major international events. »

This international cup, equivalent to the World Cup, proved Row Sallem right. Although the USA were the first in the world to arrive in Paris as clear favourites, they will not even see the semi-finals thanks to an in-form French team. The Blues have just two games left to reach the Holy Grail. And establish themselves as favorites for the next major event, which will take place in just over ten months at the Grand Palais Ephemeral.