We are incredibly excited for one of our Sixth Form students, Oliver Wightman, who has recently been selected to play Wheelchair Rugby with Team GB.
Over the last 8 months, Oliver has been on a Tier 1 GB development plan and has been playing wheelchair rugby, for which he has shown great natural ability. He was quickly recognised as a talented player and has played in three tournaments, winning two of them and coming second in another. One top of this, he was deemed MVP (Most Valuable Player) in two of the tournaments.
Oliver has been selected to attend development training camps, including GB Elite training camps, which could put him on track for going to the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. A selection camp at the end of February may well see him being picked to play for Team GB in the European Cup in Rotterdam at the end of April.
Oliver has been heavily involved in another sport – wheelchair basketball – most of his life. He began when he was four, when his father took him and his younger brother, Charlie, to play. Charlie later turned to football, but Oliver continued playing basketball, becoming ever more successful in the sport, culminating in a European tournament last summer where his team came second, and winning a junior championship.
Oliver commented: “I enjoy playing basketball and rugby equally, but it took a bit adjusting to the different kind of wheelchair used in rugby. The rugby chair weighs around 30 kilograms, whereas the wheelchair used in basketball chair is designed to be very lightweight.”
Oliver is acutely aware that this is not ideal timing for his up-coming A Level exams, but he’s remaining focused in both the academic and sporting aspects of his life. He currently trains with Penrith Pumas WRC every week, as well as in Preston every Saturday.
After Sixth Form, Oliver is hoping to go on to study Physiotherapy at the University of Nottingham, where he will be able to continue playing wheelchair rugby with the university’s team.
Our PE Inclusion Lead, Mrs Croucher, said: “I am absolutely over the moon for Oliver. What an achievement to be asked to play for the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Team at the age of 18. I have known Oliver since he started at William Howard School when he joined our Team Inspire and shone immediately as a great Boccia and table cricket player reaching national finals in both. Wheelchair basketball then became his thing and much more recently wheelchair rugby. Now his future in sport is flying! Oliver is a lovely young man. He doesn’t like to brag about his success and has kept his sporting achievements very quiet but as a school we would like to congratulate him and wish him all the luck in the world with his future sporting ventures.”
