Cardiff Met Archers Training. Image: Chubby Cheeks Photography

Cardiff team to play in first ever women’s professional parasport basketball league

Cardiff Met Archers have been called ‘ones to watch’ in the Women’s Premier League

CARDIFF Met Archers Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team will play their first match in the Women’s Premier League this Friday.

The league is the first of its kind worldwide and the UK’s first women’s professional parasport league. For their opening game, Cardiff will play East London Phoenix in Newham.

Sarah Wagstaff, Director of Basketball at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said: “It is an amazing achievement for us to be selected as one of only four teams in the UK.”

The Archers’ side is made up of twelve women, including cardiff Met student Jade Atkin, who is part of Team GB’s senior women’s wheelchair basketball team.

Jade Atkin, Cardiff Met Archers player and member of Team GB. Image: Chubby Cheeks Photography

The first match in the league took place last Saturday between Worcester Wolves and Loughborough Lightning. It was broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app.

Speaking on Woman’s Hour, Jo Richards, Development Director at British Wheelchair Basketball, said: “This is incredibly exciting for the sport. It gives us visibility which is especially important for disability sport.

“Look out for the Cardiff Met Archers squad, they have some really talented young Welsh athletes coming through who are exciting to watch.”

Subsequent games will be broadcast live either on British Wheelchair Basketball’s YouTube or BBC iPlayer.

Ms Wagstaff said: “We hope this will get more people in and around Cardiff involved. The BBC live shows are broadening people’s horizons and raising awareness of disability sport.

“Some people see disability as an inability to participate but this just shows that there is basketball for everybody.”

Imogen Ashwell-Rice, a 10-year-old athlete who plays Basketball at Cardiff Met. Image: Catherine Ashwell-Rice

Among those being inspired by the side is Imogen Ashwell-Rice, a 10-year-old from Monmouthshire. She has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

Imogen started basketball through Inspire a Generation sessions and now attends every week at Cardiff Met.

Her mum, Catherine Ashwell-Rice, said: “We were both thrilled to hear about the Women’s Premier League.

“Most of the sports Imogen is involved with are very male dominated so having the ladies Archers players as role models for her is priceless.”

Cardiff Met Archers Fixtures. Image: British Wheelchair Basketball

The league is made up of four brand new franchise teams, which are Cardiff Met Archers, East London Phoenix, Worcester Wolves and Loughborough Lightning.

The teams will be playing each other three times, week in week out for the next three months, which is a first for women’s parasport.

  • For updates on the team and tickets for Cardiff Met home games follow their twitter here.
  • You can watch Cardiff Met Archers v East London Phoenix at 7.00pm on Friday live here.
  • Their first match on BBC Sport is against Loughborough Lightning on Saturday, February 26 at 1.00pm. You can watch it here.