Lynn Cromie gives an insight to life in Irish Wheelchair Rugby

I became involved with Irish Wheelchair Rugby after experiencing wheelchair rugby at the Invictus Games. I am an Emergency Medicine Doctor with a special interest in Sports Medicine. So I volunteered at the Invictus Games in London in 2014 and saw wheelchair rugby being played there and absolutely loved it.  When I came home I found Ulster Barbarians and started volunteering with them, which then led on to opportunities within Irish Wheelchair Rugby.

The position of Team Manager of the Irish squad is a busy role. It involves coordinating with the players and management team about training, classification and competitions. I liaise with tournament organisers around competition planning and travel arrangements, it is a lot of logistics! There is a good team helping with wheelchair rugby, so we can share out some of these roles.  

When the Irish Wheelchair Rugby League takes place I referee some of the games. I only got involved in refereeing as there was no one else available one day and it stuck with me! It is a good way to learn the rules, but it’s hard work! Lots of different things to be keeping an eye on at all times. There are some players who deliberately test the refs to see if we pick up on everything.    

The personalities are always tricky to manage, but the referee is the referee. It is important for players to learn to follow the referee’s decision. Referees may not always get it right, but the game needs to continue. You have to learn to play to the whistle!

Looking back, the highlight of my wheelchair rugby experience so far has to be going to the World Championships in 2018. A lot of effort was put in by both players and staff to get to this competition and it was an unbelievable experience. I also love watching people experience wheelchair rugby for their first time – it’s an amazing sport to be involved with and I love it when more people get the opportunity to play!

I would encourage all women to get involved with wheelchair rugby. There is a role for everyone from playing and refereeing to fixing punctures. It is truly a mixed sport where male and female athletes compete together. Its a fun, fast-paced, but tactical sport. There is something for everyone.

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