Researchers from the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport conducted research at the Women’s Cup in Paris, 2023. Around the tournament a group of 24 female wheelchair rugby players were measured on their arm strength and sprint performances on court. The goal was to evaluate the current competition rule that allows an additional 0.5 points for every female athlete on court. Wheelchair rugby teams consist of four players with a play a maximum of 8.0 points in total. Wheelchair rugby is a mixed sex sport where females and males can compete together in one team. Currently the rule allows an extra 0.5-point for every female player on court, which means 8.5 points are allowed with 1 female, or 9.0 points with 2 females. The current research explored the differences in arm strength between female and male players to assess the current competition rule. The number of female players in international teams remains low with only 5% being female. At recent World Championships around 9% were female, mainly consisting of low-point female players.

The purpose of this study was to compare isometric arm strength and sprint performance between female and male WR players, assessing the fairness of the current 0.5-point competition rule for female players used by the World Wheelchair Rugby Federation (WWR).