OTTAWA, ON. – Wheelchair Rugby Canada (WRC) has made the difficult decision to officially cancel the 2020 National Championships.  This comes after today’s cancellation of the Défi sportif AlterGo 2020 due to ongoing concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s Nationals event was to be part of the 37th edition of Défi sportif AlterGo 2020 and was scheduled for May 1-3, 2020 in Montreal, QC.

“I know this is a tremendously disappointing for our athletes but I also know that they understand and respect the decision as we all make the sacrifices necessary to protect the health and safety of our families, friends and community.”

We extend our sincere thanks to Defi sportif for all the time and effort invested in our Nationals and hope to see our athletes competing in Montreal in 2021.

As the national governing body for the sport of wheelchair rugby in the Canada, WRC continues to closely monitor all COVID-19 developments in consultation with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Information regarding Wheelchair Rugby Canada’s COVID-19 Response Plan can be found here.

Statement by the Défi sportif AlterGo

Considering the situation with COVID-19 and the regulations issued by the various levels of government, we are under the obligation to cancel the 37th edition of Défi sportif AlterGo, which was scheduled to take place from April 24th to May 3rd, 2020.

We have closely monitored the evolution of the virus over the past few weeks and have taken under advisement the recommendations made by governments, health authorities, and partner sports federations at the provincial, national, and international levels.

We are very aware that this news will no doubt sadden the 8,000 athletes who participate in Défi sportif AlterGo and who have trained for several months in order to take part in the event. Despite the difficult decision to cancel the event, we consider it essential to prioritize everyone’s health and well-being.

We are sensitive to the situation and we do not want to take any risks regarding the health and safety of everyone involved: athletes, employees, volunteers, partners, and spectators. We will be contacting each of these groups over the next few days to provide them with additional information.

We would like to thank each of our volunteers, partners, federations, suppliers and all the invaluable people who have been involved in the past year. We extend our deepest gratitude and hope every one of you will be back for the next edition which will take place from April 23rd to May 2nd, 2021!

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ABOUT WHEELCHAIR RUGBY CANADA

Wheelchair Rugby Canada is the national governing body for the Canadian Heritage Sport of wheelchair rugby. Wheelchair Rugby Canada strives to be a world-leader in wheelchair rugby, a respected advocate for wheelchair athletes and a visionary organization committed to excellence in programs from recruitment to retirement.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ben Parker-Jones
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Wheelchair Rugby Canada
ben@wheelchairrugby.ca or 613-523-0004