(Ottawa, ON) – Wheelchair Rugby Canada has announced today that the 2021 National Championships have been officially cancelled due the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This year’s Nationals event was to be part of the 38th edition of Défi sportif AlterGo and was scheduled for May 2021 in Montreal, QC.

”The cancellation of this year’s event, while not unexpected, is extremely disappointing for our athletes.  But the health and safety of our community is of paramount importance to us and delivering even a scaled down version of the event could not ensure a safe environment” said Wheelchair Rugby Canada’s CEO, Catherine Cadieux. “We are very grateful to the team at the Défi sportif AlterGo for their continued commitment to our National Championships.  We hope we will be able to enjoy great competition in 2022.”

As Wheelchair Rugby Canada’s largest national event featuring clubs from coast-to-coast, the National Championships have served as the nation’s premier wheelchair rugby competition for more than 30 years. The event provides a meaningful 3-day wheelchair rugby competition experience for host cities and participating teams, with over 250 participating athletes, support staff, officials, classifiers, and volunteers.

The National Championships is scheduled to return in 2022. Details regarding the event will be released later this year.

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Developments in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continue to change regularly, and Wheelchair Rugby Canada will remain in contact with and follow the directions of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure we are aware of, and aligned with, appropriate recommendations and requirements.

Wheelchair Rugby Canada continues to encourage everyone to practice physical distancing to limit public interactions and do our collective part in slowing the impending spread of the virus and flatten the curve.  Recommendations for protecting yourself and preventing spread of this illness also include frequent hand washing and covering both your nose and mouth when coughing.

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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