The Hague confirmed as host city for the 2025 Wheelchair Rugby European Championship

The World Wheelchair Rugby Federation (WWR) proudly announces that The Hague has been selected as the host city for the upcoming WWR European Championship in 2025. The championship will take place from April 21 to 27 at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark. This state-of-the-art campus, complete with its own stadium, is one of the premier sports centers in South Holland.

WWR Head of Competitions Tim Johnson said: ‘WWR is honoured to bring the European Championship for wheelchair rugby to the Netherlands. We would like to thank the national federation, the city of the Hague and the LOC Team TOC for their support and effort in making this happen. It promises to be a great event with parasports of the highest level.’’

Participation of the Netherlands
During the tournament, teams from 8 different countries will compete for the European title and direct qualification to the 2026 WWR World Championship.. As the host country, the Netherlands has guaranteed participation, while the other participating countries will be announced at a later date. In 2023, the following countries were qualified for this prestigious final tournament: Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Israel, and Czech Republic.

Quote from Gehandicaptensport Nederland (national federation), director Dos Engelaar: "As the National Federation, we are incredibly excited to host the European Wheelchair Rugby Championship in the Netherlands again after nearly 30 years. Wheelchair rugby is a sport full of passion and adrenaline, a beautiful sport to watch. With the arrival of this tournament, we offer the Netherlands the unique opportunity to experience this sport at an international level."

The European Championship occurs biennially and serves as a crucial initial gauge for the path to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The previous European Championship took place in May 2023 in Cardiff, Wales.

Sportcampus Zuiderpark

The Hague boasts the Sportcampus Zuiderpark, a multifunctional sports complex that serves as an epicenter for various institutions actively engaged in groundbreaking research focused on innovation in elite sports, exercise physiology, and community involvement. This makes it a prime location for the Wheelchair Rugby European Championship.

Hilbert Bredemeijer, Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth, Sports, and Services of The Hague, expresses: "I am incredibly proud that the European Wheelchair Rugby Championship is coming to The Hague next year. It's fantastic to witness international top athletes competing for the European title at this spectacular tournament. It will be a celebration for sports enthusiasts in The Hague at the Sportcampus."

The local organizing committee for this elite sports event is Team TOC, a prominent sports events agency. Known for their successful organization of the European Para Championships in August 2023 in Rotterdam, the company brings a wealth of experience in parasports. CEO Eric Kersten eagerly anticipates the event: "We are thrilled to take on the organization of this wheelchair rugby tournament. We have long awaited the opportunity to organize an event in this sport, and now it is a dream come true in the beautiful surroundings of The Hague."