#TuksRugby: Husband and wife hooked on wheelchair rugby

Posted on July 30, 2019

Two men in wheelchairs race full speed at each other. One has a ball in his hand, it is obvious they are going to crash, then it happens. 

On impact, one man is nearly thrown from his chair. Afterwards, surprisingly, no one is upset. Both are smiling. This is what wheelchair rugby is all about. The bigger the hit, the bigger the rush. 

"Crap, this was massive. Let's go for it again," chirps an excited Armand Muller from the Tuks wheelchair rugby-team. Then they do. The second time seems to be even more physical. Still, everyone smiles.

Five years ago, in a mere few seconds, Muller's life changed forever. He was on his way to work on his motorbike when taxidriver made a U-turn in front of him. He had no time to swerve out to avoid crashing into the taxi. The accident left him paralyzed. A quadriplegic. 

Part of his rehabilitation entailed playing wheelchair rugby. That is how the Tuks player got hooked. 

"What I love about the game is the physical contact. Wheelchair rugby is as far as I know the only disabled sport where you are allowed to go for a hard 'hit' on an opponent. For me, it is a way to vent my frustration and get the adrenaline pumping," explains Muller

He is, however, not the only one who is hooked. His wife, Suzette, coaches the Tuks wheelchair rugby-team. She never planned to do so. It just happened. 

"At first, I merely went along to support Armand. While there, I started to assist the players in various ways. It led to me getting more involved during each training session. Then one day, it was suggested that I should coach the team. 

"At the time, I did not know that much about the game, but I did know how to 'Google'. You would be surprised about what you can learn. My saving grace when I started coaching was possible that I never pretended to know everything. I  am continuously learning about wheelchair rugby, talking to anyone knowledgeable on the game.  I also value the insets of the players." 

According to Suzette Muller wheelchair rugby is not only played by men. A few years back, the South African national team boasted with two female players from Tuks. They were indeed not quota players.

She added that people will be surprised by the intensity the players train at times. 

"Once or twice, I also got into a wheelchair and tried to keep up with what they are doing, but I never managed to finish a whole session."

As to how good the Tuks wheelchair rugby team is Muller admits that they are not currently the top side in South Africa.

"We are in a rebuilding phase. I think in a year from now we would be able to challenge to become the best in South Africa."

 

- Author Wilhelm de Swardt

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