Portland Pounders fierce in sport also called murderball
SUMMARY: Quad rugby The country's sixth-ranked team has some of the nation's best talent
FAIRVIEW --Lynn Nelson, a member of the Portland Pounders, the local U.S. Quad Rugby Association team, had a decision to make: Try to get open or risk upending his wheelchair?

From the corner of one eye, he spotted teammate Will Groulx charging down the right side of the court, ball in hand. Out of the other, nothing but a sea of blue, the color of the opposing Northridge Knights.

Nelson made his choice.

With a hard push, he briefly freed himself from traffic and collided head-on with a Knight making his way toward Groulx, creating a bang heard in the last row of bleachers at the gym at Reynolds Middle School.

Taking advantage of the block, Groulx flew by, untouched, past the goal line.

Canadians called the sport murderball when they invented it almost three decades ago, and although the official name has been tamed (to quad rugby), the ferocity of play hasn't.

"The speed and the hitting have only increased as the chairs have gotten better," said Ed Suhr, the Pounders' player-coach.

As the sport continues to grow --it's now played in 26 countries --Oregon's talent pool remains one of the best.

Entirely Northwest

With the help of Nelson and Groulx, the Pounders finished 5-0 at their home invitational Jan. 27-29, taking first-place honors.

Under Suhr's guidance, Portland has moved up to the sixth ranking in the country. Presently, all Pounders live in Oregon or Southwest Washington, making them the only top 10 squad without an international player on its roster.

"We refuse to do that," Nelson said. "We are locally grown." Suhr, Nelson and Groulx all live in Portland.

Four Pounders --Nelson, Groulx, Seth McBride and Max Woodbury --are among 24 players still alive in the tryouts for the 2006 national team. In May, a team of 12 will be selected to represent the United States in this year's world championships in Christchurch, New Zealand. Both Nelson and Groulx were members of the 2004 Paralympic team that won bronze in Athens. Suhr, meanwhile, is the 2006 assistant coach.

"The guys involved in the team have taken it to a new level," Suhr said. "They want to compete nationally."

Playing the game

First-time spectators may not recognize the link to traditional rugby.

"It's played nothing like normal rugby," said John Bishop, former board member of the United States Quad Rugby Association. "But there's a camaraderie there that they both encompass and a similar aggressive style of play during the games."

In quad rugby, two teams of four battle for possession of a volleyball on a reconfigured basketball court. Players are allowed to keep the ball for as long as they like but, if they are not going to pass, must dribble every 10 seconds.

They must also be tough.

If they hold on too long, opponents quickly ram into them, trying to jar the ball loose. Points are scored when the offense rolls across the opponents' 8-meter-wide goal line with ball in hand.

Players must show impairment in all four limbs. Different athletes have different levels of function and are ranked accordingly. Athletes with the least amount get a 0.5 ranking, while those with the most are 3.5. No team can have more than eight points on the floor at any time.

"The idea is that the level of function on the floor is equal so that the team with the best training and best skills wins out," said Suhr, a 0.5. A West Point graduate, he became quadriplegic at age 21 when the driver of a car he was in fell asleep. Nelson, who woke up one day at age 14 paralyzed from the waist down, is a 3.0, and Groulx is a 2.5.

Up for a game?

To stay in shape, the Pounders practice twice a week. On Tuesdays they work out at the Police Activities League center in Northeast Portland and on Sundays travel to Salem to accommodate team members who live in the southern part of the state.

Newcomers are always welcome.

"Just give me call, we usually have an open chair," Suhr said.

There is no minimum age for participation. Pounders range from 19 years old to 52.

"If they're old enough to mix it up, it's all right," Suhr said.

Equipment, however, can provide a barrier to some. New chairs vary in price from $2,500 to $3,500. The Veterans Hospital provided the team with several chairs, while individual insurance and fundraisers helped purchase others. "Most people can't afford to buy a new one," Suhr said.

Wheelchairs for rugby differ from everyday ones. Wheels for rugby chairs are sloped outward for quicker turns and better stability, while metal frames, known as wings, protect against collisions.

Rugby chairs also sit closer to the ground.

"We want to be lower, so we don't eat the floor as often," Suhr said.

During the league season, which runs from October to April, the Pounders compete in one tournament a month. Because of costs, however, the team travels with only eight to 10 players.

Sectional playoffs are in March in Loma Linda, Calif. The top eight teams qualify for nationals the first weekend of April in Austin, Texas. Last year the Pounders took seventh at nationals but are hoping to climb higher this time.

"We'd like to finish in the top five," Suhr said. "Other teams might have something else in mind, but that's our goal."