The Official Draw for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games wheelchair rugby competition will take place on Wednesday, April 28th. The ceremony will be held in Sheffield, UK and the random draw will be conducted by the IWRF Competitions Committee.

Coverage of the draw will be aired live through the IWRF YouTube channel, and will begin at 6am EST.

Canada are seeded 5th in the draw. The team secured qualification for the Tokyo Games by defeating Colombia in a playoff at the 2020 IWRF Paralympic Qualification tournament.

Seed List

Nations will be seeded for the draw based on their relative standings on the IWRF World Ranking List as of 17^th April, 2021 as follows:

Draw Process

During the draw, a system for selecting a random Nation will be used. The authenticity and suitability of the system has been confirmed by IWRF.

The process for the draw is as follows:

1. The teams seeded 1^st and 2^nd will be drawn first. The first team drawn will be allocated to Pool The remaining team will be allocated to Pool B.
2. The teams seeded 5^th and 6^th will be drawn second. The first team drawn will be allocated to Pool The remaining team will be allocated to Pool B.
3. The teams seeded 7^th and 8^th will be drawn third. The first team drawn will be allocated to Pool The remaining team will be allocated to Pool B.
4. Following the third draw, the Host Nation for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be invited to choose the Pool they wish to be allocated to. The remaining team, seeded 4^th, will be allocated to the other pool.

In the event the Host team is unable to attend or confirm their decision during the draw, the following process will replace step 4 above:

The teams seeded 3^rd and 4^th will be drawn. The first team drawn will be allocated to Pool A. The remaining team will be allocated to Pool B.

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ABOUT THE IWRF

The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) is the governing body responsible for the sport of Wheelchair Rugby. We were first established in 1993, as a sport section of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation, which today is known as International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports. In January 2010, the IWRF became an independent sport federation and is now a member of the International Paralympic Committee.

The purpose of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation is to help develop, promote, and regulate the sport of Wheelchair Rugby on a global basis. The sport is currently played in more than 30 countries with many others in development.

To learn more about the IWRF, visit their website HERE

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