Eyan Naylor, 48, led the England Wheelchair Rugby Fives team to success in Nottinghamshire, securing the first title of its kind in the competition’s debut year.
As the name suggests, wheelchair rugby fives includes five players on court, whereas the Paralympic discipline has four.
While Paralympic wheelchair rugby is designed primarily for tetraplegic players, the fives discipline is open to a wider range of athletes, including paraplegic players and anyone with a physical impairment.
Reflecting on the achievement, Eyan said; “It’s just mind-blowing. Everybody put everything on that court, it was just amazing.”
Eyan Naylor (Image: Supplied)
England sealed the title in a tense deciding match against Wales with Eyan explaining that at half time they were about four points down, saying ‘we had a lot to recover,’ he added: “We went point for point at one stage; it could have been anybody’s game – and then we pushed it over the edge. I still can’t get my head around it, it doesn’t feel real.”
Despite the historic win, Eyan believes this is only the beginning for the team, hinting that ‘massive things’ lie ahead.
Eyan Naylor (Image: Supplied)
He described the experience as emotional and life-changing, adding: “This is the first step in creating a pathway for future generations. It still doesn’t feel real.”
Eyan also hopes the sport’s more inclusive classification system will encourage more disabled people to get involved in competitive sport.
He was born with a club foot, meaning his right foot was twisted and deformed.
In August 2020 Eyan made the decision to have his leg amputated below the knee – a move he says transformed his life.
Success for England wheelchair rugby team (Image: Eyan Naylor)
Despite captaining the England team to success, Eyan never expected to be picked for the role.
Upon finding out that not only had he made the team but had also been picked as captain, he said: “I burst into tears.
“I was born with a limb deficiency, and in the late 70s and early 80s, people with a disability were shunned. I was never invited to things and always on the side-lines… I grew up feeling like a nobody.
“In that moment, I was given the biggest honour. Even if this never happens again, that day I became a somebody.”