Prince Harry leads star-studded wheelchair rugby match for Invictus Games
The Invictus Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, will feature a star-studded exhibition wheelchair rugby match on the evening of Friday 12th September. Prince Harry today confirmed he will play in the match, which will see sport and entertainment stars line up alongside wounded, injured and sick Service personnel.
- Stars of sport and entertainment will join Prince Harry and wounded, injured and sick Service personnel for the Jaguar Land Rover Exhibition Wheelchair Rugby Match.
- Prince Harry to line up alongside Olympic legends Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Lewis and ‘Kickstarts’ singer Example. Zara Tindall and her Rugby World Cup winning husband Mike Tindall are also set to take to the court.
- Teams will be managed by Rugby World Cup winners Jonny Wilkinson and Sir Clive Woodward.
- Match takes place at the Copper Box Arena on Friday 12th September with tickets on sale now www.invictusgames.org.
- Exhibition match is part of the Invictus Games, the international sporting event for wounded warriors, championed by Prince Harry and presented by Jaguar Land Rover.
Rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson and his former manager Sir Clive Woodward will go head-to head as managers for each team. This will be the first time that the World Cup winning fly-half and his former mentor have locked horns as equals and the prospect of ‘student vs. master’ has already provoked a lot of light teasing between the two teams.
Olympians Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Lewis are set to play alongside singer Example, with the Queen’s granddaughter, Olympic silver medallist Zara Tindall, another of the famous faces to add her support. She will join her husband, Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall, on the Copper Box court.
Zara Tindall said:
“It’s important to get involved in the Invictus Games to use the power of sport to inspire recovery and support rehabilitation. I’m very excited to be involved. I have seen wheelchair rugby being played before but I haven’t played. I can’t imagine I’m going to be very good at it, but obviously we’ll bring our A-Game!”
The equestrian star, who claimed silver in Team Eventing at London 2012, says she’s excited to be involved in another major sporting event in the capital. She said:
“I’m looking forward to being part of an amazing Games. Having Servicemen and women from all over the globe come together and compete in sport is going to be fantastic.”
Dame Kelly Holmes DBE MBE (Mil), who was awarded an MBE for services to British Army said:
“As an ex-military soldier, I'm extremely honoured to be part of the Invictus Games. I have immense admiration for all these service men and women who have served their country. I'm very much looking forward to being part of the games and I'm sure I will be in awe of all the events and all those taking part. I wish everyone good luck in their preparation and look forward to taking part myself.”
Example said:
“The spirit and determination of those taking part in the Invictus Games is incredible. I’m humbled and honoured to be asked to take part and looking forward to getting out there and giving wheelchair rugby a go. It looks brutal. Fun, but brutal!”
The exhibition match, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, will take place during the Invictus Games Wheelchair Rugby competition at the Copper Box Arena. It is to be featured on BBC’s One Show, with highlights broadcast later on BBC2.
One of the hottest tickets of the London 2012 Paralympics, wheelchair rugby promises to be one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the Invictus Games, when the sport returns to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Fans with a ticket to Session 1 of the Wheelchair Rugby (08.30-11.30) will see four matches including the British Armed Forces team’s opening tie against Denmark. The Danes then face New Zealand, with Australia also contesting two matches against the USA and Italy. The fast-paced, high-contact action continues in Session 2 (13.00-16.00) when the British players resume their quest for Gold against New Zealand in their final Pool B tie while the USA and Italy go head-to-head in the potential Pool A decider. Again spectators can look forward to four 20-minute matches with the sudden-death Semi-Finals on the bill. The action culminates in Session 3 (17.30-21.00) when the play-off for 5th and 6th place precedes the Bronze medal play-off.
The ultimate winners will be decided in the Final after Prince Harry and stars of sport and entertainment have done battle in the Jaguar Land Rover Exhibition Match. Fans can buy tickets for each session with the chance to follow their team throughout the day.
The Invictus Games are being organised with the support and backing of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and the Ministry of Defence. It will see more than 400 wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women, from 13 nations, competing at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, thanks to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the London Legacy Development Corporation, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority DCMS and Sport England.
