DORSET Destroyers have received 15 new sports wheelchairs thanks to a cash boost from Sport England.

The Poole-based wheelchair rugby club recently set up Disability Sports Dorset in a bid to boost disability sports in the area.

As well as wheelchair rugby, the club offers wheelchair tennis, wheelchair badminton, a shooting club and wheelchair self-defence at Rossmore Leisure Centre.

Club founder Nicholas Coombs said: "With the new variant of wheelchair rugby coming into place it means that many more disabled people with a physical impairment can now play, and with the arrival of the new sports wheelchairs we will also be looking to add wheelchair rugby league and wheelchair rugby sevens to our portfolio.

"Our aim is to build 15 plus disability clubs of varying sports over the next two years, and to give people the chance to either play team sports or individual player sports like wheelchair tennis, and also for people who have stopped playing sports because of a sporting injury or because they have a temporary disability which will mean they cannot play sports in the usual way.

"Sports are a great way to get out and socialise. Some of the comments we've had from people were that they didn't play sports because they were only beginners, but everyone started as a beginner and we are happy to accept beginners, intermediates and anyone who either wants to play competitively or just for fun."

The Destroyers train on a Sunday morning from 11am to 2pm, and Disability Sports Dorset starts again on Wednesday, September 27, from 7-8.30pm.

A six week disability/wheelchair self-defence course starts on Wednesday, November 8.

Visit thedorsetdestroyers.co.uk