Next up in our team profiles is another USQRA team, the Portland Pounders.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Portland has been the most dominant team in the tournament’s history. Led by U.S. Paralympic gold medalists Seth McBride and Will Groulx, the Pounders won seven consecutive titles from 2007-2013, only losing one match during this time.

In addition to McBride and Groulx, Portland’s dominant run featured a revolving door of other international stars including:

• 2x Paralympian Chuck Aoki
• Heavy-hitting Chance Sumner (Check out the 0:40 mark)
• Former Belgium international Lars Mertens
• Colombian superstar Jhon Orozco Nunez.

The team has recently transitioned into a D2 club. However they’re still a strong threat in the lower division and will look to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss to Seattle.

Watch Out For!

Jake Wheeler: A big and powerful player for Portland who should be one of the team’s primary threats. He was a try-scoring machine at last year’s tournament and also dished out a number of big hits on opposing players.

Player/Coach Kip Johnson won Best Picker at last year and was a key player on several of the title-winning teams. Opposing players will aim to avoid his pick at all times.

Learn more

To learn more about the Portland Pounders and follow the team, check out their Facebook page.

Thanks to Pomme Natural Market and Clif Bar who will be supplying snacks to keep all the athletes fueled up and ready to go.

Next up in our team profiles are the two teams from Alberta.

Alberta Roughnecks (D1)

Alberta are on the rise. They finished in 2nd at the 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Championships and will look to do one better and make a statement at the Invitational.

Wheelchair rugby is booming in Alberta and all of their A Team players have experience with the national or NextGen programs.

Watch Out For!

The Dynamic Duo: Zak Madell and Branden Troutman

These two are FAST!!!!

Speedy Zak Madell led Team Canada in scoring at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics. Although retired from international play, the silver medalist from Okotoks is still one of the country’s most talented rugby players. Defenders will have to keep their hands on their wheels to have any hope of keeping up with his pace.

His running mate is 20-year-old Branden Troutman. The youngest member of the Canadian wheelchair rugby team is fresh off winning a gold medal with Alberta’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2019 Canada Winter Games, and should deliver many exciting plays.

Try not to blink when watching this team, or you might miss a try!

Alberta Bighorns (D2)

Alberta also has a D2 team in the competition. The Bighorns have a number of newer players and will be aiming to improve on last year’s 4th place finish.

Para- rower Kyle Riva is a recent convert to wheelchair rugby and is a rookie to keep an eye out for.

Fun Facts

• Alberta’s best ever finish at the Vancouver Invitational was 3rd in 2017.
• Alberta has the most women competing at the Invitational of any province with four. Kendall Winter and Ashley Munroe on the Roughnecks and Kasey Aiello and Lana Cicko on the Bighorns.

Thank you to ChairStuff and BC Rehab Foundation for their support of the Vancouver Invitational.

First up in our team profiles are our neighbours to the south, The Seattle Slam Wheelchair Rugby Club.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

Seattle is the only team other than BC to compete at every Vancouver Invitational. Our southern neighbours have a rich history at the tournament. They won back-to-back D2 title in 2008 and 2009 and won last year’s D2 Championship in 2OT vs Portland.

In addition to their successful D2 campaigns, Seattle has also been a D1 contender. From 2015-2017, Japanese import and world champion Daisuke Ikezaki led the team to three top-four finishes. During this run, the Slam posted impressive victories over established teams like Germany, BC and Quebec.

Watch Out For?

Seattle’s captain and head-coach Jeremy Hannaford is one to look out for. However, as a picker, his impact might not be obvious to the casual fan.

Hannaford’s a tough defender who does a fantastic job of opening up lanes for his teammates and clamping down on opponents.

The Slam won’t have one clear go-to scorer. Instead, they have four or five guys who will all be expected to carry the ball and make decisions, whether that means firing off a pass or turning on the jets and burning someone for the try.

Seattle’s full roster is available here

Fun Facts

• Seattle are currently ranked 21st in the United States Quad Rugby Association
• They used to be called the Seattle AllNight
• For the 2018/2019 season, Seattle imported BC’s Andrew Davis for their domestic competitions. Canadians Rod Bitz and Fabien Lavoie have also played for the team in previous years.
• The Slam are partnered with the Seattle Saracens Rugby Club (Will we see some of them in the stands?)

Learn more

For more information on the Seattle Slam, you can follow them on Facebook here.

To stay up-to-date on all things Vancouver Invitational and Wheelchair Rugby, keep checking this site. Additionally be sure to follow BC Wheelchair Sports on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more content leading up to and during the tournament.