THE sport's popularity is on the rise, and Keighley Cougars Wheelchair Rugby League Club's Samuel Stebbings thinks that its inclusivity and standard means that it deserves more recognition.

He said: "It's great for someone like me as I'm a slender build so I'd struggle in the running game. It's brilliant that disabled people can take part too.

"It's not Sunday League standard, it's a proper league with quality sides. It's nice to bring people together like this and I think I've gained a better understanding of disabled people from playing here.

"When we're sat in the chairs playing the game, I don't see the disabilities, we're all equal and just there to enjoy ourselves."

Wheelchair rugby league is played by able bodied and disabled competitors alike and takes the form of a 5-a-side tag contest.

There is no kicking in the sport, with all plays completed by hand. If you cannot touch the floor when scoring, you can tap the side of your chair when crossing the opposition line.

Stebbings hopes some publicity can attract players to the club, who train and play home games on court at the University Academy of Keighley.

Despite lacking numbers, Cougars WRLFC have gained their first international player this season, with Gavin Dobson a Scotland regular. Stebbings feels this shows how much the team have grown.

He enthused: "We've gained experience by playing all over the country over the last three years since our formation and now we've got Gavin, who plays for Scotland, but lives in Thornbury.

"We play in the Northern League so Gavin's dropped down from Halifax in the Premier League. He doesn't always play because of international matches, but I'd be exactly the same if I was called up for England!"

Stebbings believes able-bodied players do not have an advantage, saying: "The Welsh internationals who we played against at Hereford recently are all disabled and they thrashed us!

"You have to have a certain amount of able and disabled players. It's mixed gender too and our captain is Jemima Croft.

"We've also started a new session for special needs players at the club, which is all tag form and inclusive mixed-gender, and anyone can come down."

Training is on Thursday nights, with the wheelchair sessions from 6-8pm immediately followed by the Open Minds session at 8-9pm.

Cougars were knocked out in the Plate Cup semi-final after losing 46-9 to Dundee Dragons last weekend. After beating Cougars, the Scottish side will face Hereford Harriers in the showpiece event.