Wheelchair rugby is a high-intensity Paralympic contact sport for athletes with impairments affecting all four limbs. Played in custom contact wheelchairs on a basketball court, it combines elements of rugby, basketball, and handball. Wheelchair Rugby New Zealand governs the sport. The All Blacks Wheelchair (NZ national team) competes internationally. This guide covers the key funding sources for wheelchair rugby in New Zealand.
Wheelchair Rugby New Zealand governs the sport:
- National competition
- National team — the All Blacks Wheelchair
- Regional competitions
- Junior and development programmes
- Paralympic pathway
Contact WRNZ and Paralympics NZ for Sport NZ investment access.
Paralympics NZ funds wheelchair rugby as a Paralympic sport:
- National programme investment
- High performance pathway
- Paralympic selection
Sport NZ funds wheelchair rugby through Paralympics NZ:
- Para-sport development investment
- Community participation
RSTs fund community wheelchair rugby.
RSTs fund wheelchair rugby clubs:
- Equipment grants for contact wheelchairs
- Junior development
- Women's participation
Key RSTs:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland wheelchair rugby
- Sport Wellington: Wellington clubs
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch wheelchair sport
CCS Disability Action and related disability organisations:
- Equipment and inclusion grants for disability sport
- Community access for athletes with quad impairments
Gaming trusts fund wheelchair rugby clubs:
- Four Winds Foundation: Disability sport and community organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Community sport and recreation
- Pub Charity: Equipment and community grants
- Lion Foundation: Community sport
Gaming trust applications for wheelchair rugby:
- Contact rugby wheelchairs — $5,000–$12,000 each
- Wheelchair maintenance tools and parts
- Junior/beginner sports chairs
- Match balls
- Court equipment
Wheelchair rugby contact chairs:
- Offensive chairs: Speed-optimised for ball handling — $5,000–$12,000+
- Defensive chairs: Contact-optimised for blocking — $5,000–$12,000+
- Loan chairs: General-purpose sports chairs for beginners — $3,000–$6,000
- Custom fit: Each chair is individually fitted
A loan fleet of 6–8 chairs to run a training session and recruit costs $20,000–$50,000+.
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People:
- Disability sport participation support
- Sports wheelchair potentially fundable through disability support plans
Wheelchair rugby is gender-neutral:
- Men and women compete together: Unique in team Paralympic sports
- Increasing female representation: NZ women represented on the All Blacks Wheelchair
- Sport NZ equity funding: Gender inclusion a strength in applications
Junior development:
- Youth programmes: Introduction to wheelchair rugby
- Schools: Physical education for students with physical disability
- Junior competition: Youth pathways
Lottery Sport: Community wheelchair rugby clubs with active competition programmes.
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Players by classification, age, and gender
- Contact wheelchairs: Loan fleet — specific chair count, condition, and ages
- Paralympic pathway: Connection to national All Blacks Wheelchair team
- Disability inclusion: Accessible for athletes with quad impairments
- Gender inclusion: Men and women competing together
- Junior development: Youth players and school programmes
- Organisation governance: Affiliation to WRNZ and Paralympics NZ
Tahua's grants management platform helps wheelchair rugby clubs manage grant applications across Paralympics NZ, Sport NZ, RSTs, disability funders, and gaming trusts, tracking contact wheelchair fleet, participation, and Paralympic pathway outcomes.