BOISE — It’s a sport open to anyone, except maybe the faint of heart.
“The reason we adopted the name wheelchair rugby, it was originally called murderball, and they were having a hard time getting corporate sponsorship with a name like murderball," said team caption of the Boise Bombers Spencer Larimore.
Members from the Boise Bombers are practicing their skills at the Fort Boise Community Center. It’s a chair to chair contact sport, so the fundamentals are important for their game-time strategies and safety.
“You don’t want to hit people from behind the axle, you can spin them, and it puts them in a dangerous position to spin them," said Larimore.
Looking at the court now, it’s hard to tell these guys weren’t always as skilled as they are now.
“I said I don’t want to play this, this is a sport for guys in wheelchairs, and he knocked me right on my butt my first time, and I tried to knock him over, and I couldn’t get him over, and I thought 'man I gotta figure out how to do this,'" said team member Kory Puderbaugh.
In their years as a team, they’ve improved their own skills and learned how to play up each other’s strengths.
"In this sport, you’ll see fast guys you’ll see guys that are a little slower, but its a team sport, and everyone plays a crucial role," said Puderbaugh.
The practices are open to anyone, regardless of the ability level, Just as long as you bring your A-game.
"You know at the end some of the guys just stand up out of the chairs, and the other guys have to have a little bit of help getting out, and that’s when you realize oh yeah we are a little different but when we’re out there, it’s like you’re on the same playing field," said Larimore.
The Boise Bombers are hosting a three-day tournament on November 8-10 called Boise Bash. Five teams from across the country are coming to compete. It will be at the Boys and Girls Club in Garden City, and it's open to all to come to see.
