Denmark to host 2019 IWRF European Championship: August 3 to 12 In Vejle, Denmark
The 2019 International Wheelchair Rugby Federation European Championship Division A will be held from August 3 to 12, 2019, in Vejle, Denmark, hosted by Parasport Denmark.
Host nation Denmark will be joined by France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, and Sweden, who earned their positions at the 2017 Division A Championship. The field of eight teams will be completed by the top two finishers at the 2018 European Championship Division B, to be held October 7 to 15, 2018, in Pajulahti, Finland.
John Petersson, Chair of Parasport Denmark, said “The Municipality of Vejle, Sport Event Denmark and we are very pleased that IWRF has seen our vision and has confidence in our ability to host an event like the European Championship. We can’t wait to get started and will do our best, in close cooperation with IWRF, to make an unforgettable event.”
“Denmark has hosted several successful IWRF events, including the 2014 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship in Odense. The bid we received from Vejle was excellent and we look forward to returning to Denmark in 2019 for our European Championship,” said Eron Main, Chief Executive Officer of IWRF.
The European Championship Division A is the top tier of Wheelchair Rugby in Europe. The top two teams from this event will secure spots at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The bottom two teams will be relegated to Division B in 2020.
The tournament draw for the Division A Championship will be held by IWRF in early 2019.
Denmark has previously hosted the IWRF European Championship in 2005 and 2009. They finished seventh at the 2018 IWRF World Championship and are currently ranked eighth on the IWRF World Ranking List.
About the IWRF
The International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) is the governing body responsible for the sport of Wheelchair Rugby. Our mission is to grow and support the global wheelchair rugby family, with a vision to be a world leader in wheelchair sport. For more information please visit our website at www.iwrf.com