Wheelchair rugby with The Argonauts in Dartford

Wheelchair rugby sounded like a sport I could easily tackle. It's on wheels, isn't it, so how hard could it be?

But having never played rugby before, never mind wheelchair rugby, I did not enter the gymnasium at Fairfield Leisure Centre in Dartford with much confidence.

The Argonauts in action

Luckily, I was made to feel at ease when greeted by the founders of The Argonauts team which trains there, ex-England international wheelchair rugby player Fred Nye and and Ireland's wheelchair rugby captain Peter Johnston.

They provided me with my wheelchair and I was strapped in like a child in the back seat of my parent's car.

I was hoping Peter would give me some shin pads, or at least a helmet.

But alas, I only had a white t-shirt to keep me protected.

I sat in my chair and watched some team members practice throwing rugby balls around the room and wheeling after them at great speed.

Meanwhile, I did slow laps around the sports hall to warm myself up.

Surprisingly, I mastered the skill of steering left and right pretty quickly.

I tried to show off a bit and do a few spins on the spot, but on one of them, I nearly fell off the chair, so that bravado quickly ended.

The team welcomed me with open arms, but unleashed their competitive side when it was time for the games to begin.

I assumed that an intense sport like rugby wouldn't be too rough when there are wheelchairs involved.

But the reality could not have been further from what I'd expected.

I tried to catch the ball that was hurling towards me but missed, and one of the players, Ed, zoomed past me, grabbing it with one swift move.

Fred chased him and crashed into the other wheelchairs.

I felt like I was in the game Mario Kart.

The collision meant that one of the players, Sean, fell forward in his chair and tumbled to the floor.

The rest of the players came together to help him up, and he was back to playing like nothing had happened.

Then it was my turn to catch the ball and try to get it over the goal line.

But I was not fast enough and had three players closing in on me.

Like bumper cars, they collided into the steel frame of my wheelchair.

My arms started to get tired but the positive energy from the players was contagious and before I knew it, I was trying to get involved in all the tackles and collisions.

After the session ended, my hands were covered with black tyre marks where I had been pushing the wheelchair.

The whole training was a lot of fun – and a good arm workout too.

I caught up with Sean Ash, 40, who was on his third week at the club.

One of the members introduced him to the sport and encouraged him to come and play.

Sean said: "I came along, and I was terrified at first because I was scared of getting hit.

"I'm gaining more confidence the more I play, and it's great to see what is possible."

He described the struggles of living in a world built for non-disabled people but is happy that small improvements are happening.

Sean is a new wheelchair user, which he says was very isolating at first.

He became paralysed from the waist down in August 2020.

He said: "It was tough because I went through a lot mentally and physically.

"I had back pain for years, and I think my body was telling me to rest now."

He remains hopeful but says he still has to accept the way he is.

He jokingly said: "People are nicer to me now that I'm in a chair."

The Argonauts was created to bring disabled and non-disabled people together and create a level playing field through wheelchair rugby.

It is a charity which focuses on teamwork, friendship, physical activity and mental health.

The Argonauts recently held a have-a-go event where the Mayor of Dartford, Cllr Paul Cutler, and council leader Cllr Jeremy Kite were among those who came along to try out the wheelchairs.

The aim was to encourage more people to join because, since the pandemic, the club has been struggling to get players back.

Peter said: "We have a strong team dynamic, with everyone being very welcoming to new players.

"We are hoping that more people will join us and we can grow as a team this year."

Jason Owen runs another club, Dynamite Wheelchair Rugby, in Gravesend, and members have played games against The Argonauts in the past.

Jason said: "I think a lot of disabled athletes love the fact that this replicates rugby and doesn't feel like a different sport entirely."

You can reach The Argonauts on Facebook @TheArgonautsWCS and Twitter @TheArgonautsWCS