Scotland Win Wheelchair Calcutta Cup
Runners-up in Home Nations Championship At the wheelchair rugby home nations championships held in Bath last weekend, Scotland edged past England with a one point victory in the dying seconds of the game to claim the Calcutta cup and a place in the final against a rampant Irish team.Runners-up in Home Nations Championship At the wheelchair rugby home nations championships held in Bath last weekend, Scotland edged past England with a one point victory in the dying seconds of the game to claim the Calcutta cup and a place in the final against a rampant Irish team. Scotland captain, Michael Kerr from Uddingston, said: ‘We were really pleased to beat the English, last years winners. I think that coming from a four point deficit at half time really shows what the lads are made of.” Ireland proved too strong for the Scots in the final, having already beaten their Celtic brethren in the league stages of the competition, and held a comfortably lead at the end of the match. The competition was run as a traditional league followed by a final between the top two nations. England had started as favourites to retain the title. Wales left the tournament with the wooden spoon, due in part to missing several key players. Highlights are to be shown at Twickenham prior to England’s home matches in the RBS 6 nations next year. Scotland Team John Burgess (Newcastle Bulls), Troy Collins (London), Ian Hanson (Scottish Wildcats), Michael Kerr (Wolverhampton Rhinos) CAPTAIN, Struan Kerr-Liddell (Scottish Wildcats), Steve Palmer (London), Richard Priestley (Scottish Wildcats) Final Standings Ireland Scotland England Wales Notes Collins and Palmer both play for the Great Britain team and have attended the Paralympics, Kerr is hoping to join them in Beijing. Kerr-Liddell and Collins both suffered spinal injuries playing rugby union. Palmer was recently award coach of the year at the Wheelchair Sports Awards for his work with the London Wheelchair Rugby Club, having taken them to victory in the European club championship. Wheelchair Rugby is a game for players with some impairment in both upper and lower limbs. It is played on a basketball court with four players on each team. A try is only worth 1 point and there are no scrums, conversions or line-outs.