IT was a full house at Haslemere Hall on Saturday for the premiere of a film made to celebrate an unique sporting project.
More than 200 people attended the event which brought to a formal close the project jointly organised by Haslemere Community Rugby Club and the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Association (GBWRA).
The two organisations joined forces in 2000 to plan and fundraise for the unique world tour by Haslemere's under-17 able-bodied rugby squad and the GBWRA's Youth Development Unit.
A party of 75, including 14 wheelchair players and a full complement of carers, escorts, physios and health care support, took off in July 2002 for a three-and-a-half-week tour playing wheelchair and able-bodied rugby in Haslemere, San Diego, Sydney, Singapore and Cape Town.
The group was accompanied by a professional five-man camera crew and their 160 hours of film footage recording the unique tour has now been edited into two video productions. The first is a social documentary concentrating on the challenges faced by the wheelchair players and looking at how the sport has helped them come to terms with their disabilities.
The film is shortly to be available on general release at the RFU shop in Twickenham and at other video outlets and a one-hour version is being prepared for television broadcast.
The film presented last Saturday was a slightly less formal account of the more entertaining rugby and other moments of the tour experienced by both able-bodied and wheelchair parties. It reminded many just how challenging a project it had been.
Elaine Coggan, mother of Jonathan Coggan, one of the wheelchair tourists, said: " I must thank all the team from Haslemere Community Rugby Club and the Wheelchair Rugby Development Unit for arranging the World Friendship Tour. Jonathan was only two years post injury when he was invited on the tour, and we as his parents were delighted that he was selected to take part. It has helped to give him a purpose in his new life and we feel the spirit of all those who took part has 'rubbed off'. He has gained in personal strength and independence, and we are very proud of him."
Tour doctor Andrew Sears said of the final evening: "It was a great finale to an unique experience.There is no question that all of us have gained from the tour a new perspective on life and everyone involved is to be congratulated for making the whole event happen".
At the end of the performance David Wood, managing director of Input Video, the tour's main sponsor (and responsible for editing and producing both films) was presented with a framed set of tour playing kit, signed by all participants, in recognition of his invaluable support.
Commenting on the two-hour version of the film, for which television coverage is still being sought, Andrew Turner of Haslemere Community Rugby Club said: "Having also watched the "other" video it is really impressive and a moving testament to some very brave guys. I hope it can get the audience it deserves".
Collaboration between Haslemere Community Rugby Club and the GBWRA is set to continue with Haslemere hosting the National Wheelchair Rugby Club Competition in December.
Some 100 wheelchair rugby players from all over the UK and Ireland will descend on The Edge at Woolmer Hill for the three-day wheelchair rugby event. The competition, tfrom December 11-13 is to be used by the GBWRA as a trial to help select the GB team for next year's Paralympics in Athens.
Running in parallel with the competition will be a new fair to promote sport and recreation opportunities for disabled people in the Waverley area.
SPORTABILITY 2003 will be the first of an annual series designed to bring disabled people closer together with the clubs, associations and organisations offering sport and recreation and will be on December 14, also at The Edge.