HASLEMERE Sports Association (HSA) is in talks with Waverley Borough Council with a view to their supporting a major new national disabled sports project in 2003.
The proposal is to host a national wheelchair rugby club competition in Waverley next December, with teams coming from all over Great Britain to compete in this most challenging of wheelchair sports.
Haslemere already has its own wheelchair rugby club, established at The Edge sports hall at Woolmer Hill. In fact, HSA's continuing support for wheelchair rugby has led to the sports hall being accredited as the national centre of wheelchair rugby excellence in Great Britain.
Ross Morrison, chairman of the GB Wheelchair Rugby Association, who regularly trains and plays at Haslemere, reported: "It would be great news for wheelchair rugby, not only in Waverley but nationally, if we can get a cup competition off the ground here in and around Haslemere.
"Rugby is the fastest growing sport for tetraplegics and there are now about 10 club sides around Great Britain and Ireland who would leap at the chance of competing. We will be working hard over the coming months to ensure that this idea becomes reality.
"Many thanks must go to Haslemere Sports Association, the town's Rugby Club Juniors and Waverley Borough for proposing such an ambitious project. Our experience with all these bodies in the past is that they deliver and so we are delighted to place our full support behind the project."
Preparations will begin early in the new year when Ross Morrison will accompany representatives from Waverley and HSA to review playing facilities around the Borough in order to decide upon possible venues.
The competition will probably last over several days at a number of different venues, with teams coming together at one location for the latter stages. The possibility of television coverage is also being explored.