Wheelchair rugby: Veteran expected to take the heat

Sholto Taylor will have a co-captain's role at the Canada Cup. Photo/File

Even at 41, and in a sport he has played since its inception in New Zealand, Hawkes Bay's Sholto Taylor is breaking into new territory.

In June the wheelchair rugby player will captain the Wheel Blacks for the first time at the Canada Cup - a competition which will feature several of the top 10 international teams.

One of the original Wheel Blacks, Taylor has been given the captain's tag by coach Peter Martin who believes the Christchurch resident is still as good as he ever was.

"I think he'll relish it. He's been one of the few who has been really positive and supporting what we're trying to do vocally to the team. He's come a long way for himself to do that, and he's playing bloody well," Martin explained.

"Hopefully he'll be a captain that relishes it and lives up to the challenge, maybe it's just what he needs. It's good to have someone that says a bit too, he's been there done that ... he's still performing."

While the captaincy isn't Taylor's first stint, after captaining the Wheel Blacks in 1998 at the Toronto World Championships where they lost to the US in the final, he will need to call on all of his experience.

Taylor is one of four "mid-point" players who Martin believes the pressure is on to pull their weight. "I need them to be able to take an awful amount of heat and to step up. Up until now they have needed carrying, it'd be great to put them out there and they can carry their own weight."

The June tournament serves as a perfect curtain-raiser for the Kiwis' main event this year - the IWRF World Championships in August.

Martin believes the Canada Cup is a great opportunity for the Wheel Blacks to put their plays, and players, to the test against quality opposition.

"We get very good at playing ourselves in New Zealand, and sometimes the quality isn't quite there. For the team I just don't think it's realistic to play opposition of that quality and then beat them at world championships, it takes some adjusting to the play when you're under pressure.

"Canada Cup is a big benchmark as far as I'm concerned. It's a great opportunity to ... see what we can do with top eight teams and still have time to come back and regroup, assess what worked, and what didn't. We'll be able to test some of these more outlandish things we're trying and see if they can work."

Canada Cup serves as another stepping stone for the Wheel Blacks towards the 2016 Rio Paralympics, where the Kiwis hope to achieve a podium finish.

"We currently have a world ranking of 10th ... [but] there is no doubt within our squad we have some real talent developing, which has yet to show its full potential.

"Our ultimate goal, in this four- year cycle, is a podium finish at the Rio Paralympics ..."

Taylor will co-captain the side with Auckland's Gavin Rolton. The team leaves for the Canada Cup on June 16.