The Sheffield Eagles Wheelchair Rugby team have mulled plans to introduce the sport locally to Sheffield after being named club of the year at the Betfred Wheelchair Super League Awards at Headingley.
The Eagles received the award after a historic first ever victory in the Wheelchair Rugby League against Wakefield Trinity on Saturday.
Expanding opportunities to play the sport locally are in the pipeline for the Eagles, with creating a local league on the agenda for the club.
David Butler, a trustee of the club’s foundation, a club director and a player for the Sheffield Eagles’ wheelchair rugby league team said: “We’ve got some big plans to move the game forward locally later this year and start a local league to give more people the opportunity to play.”
The recently-crowned club of the year scooped up the prize at a ceremony in the Betfred Wheelchair Super League Awards at Headingley, but there are no signs of slowing down.
Butler and everyone in and around the club felt honoured to receive the award.
“It’s a huge honour really, it’s also a huge reward,” Butler said.
“I’ve told everybody it’s their award.
“The club of the year award is a pat on the back for us sticking to our values and building in the way that we wanted to build.
“Because everyone’s played their part in earning that and creating the culture and the environment that we have.”
Creating an enjoyable and inclusive setting was high on the agenda when forming the club 18 months ago.
Butler said: “When we set out in launching the club 18 months ago, we set out with the ambition of creating a club, we wanted lots of people to be able to come and play for us, we wanted to focus on enjoyment, and inclusion and making a it a great environment for people to come rather than necessarily results.”
Having also picked up their first victory, the club plans to continue to move forward.
“We’ve got over 20 registered players now, which makes us one of the largest clubs in the country,” Mr Butler said.
As interest in the sport rises, the demand for wheelchairs has also increased, with plans to acquire more well underway.
“At the minute we’ve got more players than we’ve got wheelchairs sometimes, so there’s plenty to keep going and keep us developing.”