Bay of Plenty wheelchair rugby team involved in crash at tournament

Tauranga's Amanda Lowry and some members of her wheelchair rugby team, the 'Steamrollers', were involved in a crash at the weekend. Photo / NZME

Bay of Plenty Steamrollers wheelchair rugby team members were left scrambling for rides after their van was involved in a crash over the weekend.

Teams from the Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington/Waikato and an Australian-Development side participated in the NZ Wheelchair Rugby National Competition, held in New Plymouth.

The modified van was carrying members of the Bay of Plenty Steamrollers team in the back, and in the front passenger seat was one of the team's support workers.

Two "wheelies" players, Amanda Lowry and Sam Fitness, and Fitness' support worker, were in the back of the van when it collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Leach and Grove Sts at about 3pm on September 2.

Lowry, a tetraplegic, said the whole left side of the van caved in during the "slow-motion crash", and she sustained a big cut on her head.

"Sam was left with a bloodied nose and I got a big cut on my head after it connected with the side of the wheelchair hoist," she told the Bay of Plenty Times.

"The crash happened on the second day of the tournament... On Saturday we played the Auckland team, then took a wee break, and were on our way back to the venue to play Waikato when the crash happened," Lowry said.

"The collision did really rattle us, but because we've all been through so much in our lives, we're quite resilient people.

"Sam and I weren't really seriously hurt, and I was going to get them to glue my wound together so I could still play against the Waikato players, but the rest of our team decided it was best to default the game."

The team had "scrimped and saved" to raise money to attend the tournament, and it cost $2500 for the accommodation alone, Lowry said.

The next day, they managed to play off for fourth and fifth place against the Australian-Development team, and then carpooled with other competitors for their ride home.

"We're a small tight-knit whānau group, who are all really passionate about playing wheelchair rugby, and we have another two-day NZWR Low Points tournament starting on September 25 in Te Awamutu."