Nick Coombs the Chairman and co-founder of The Dorset Destroyers Wheelchair Rugby Club, had been involved in disability sports since 2005 when the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics was announced.
Volunteering at Holton Lee (Livability Spinal Unit) he decided to add on disability sports to the Annual Summer Fair and brought in Disability Football, Archery and a Disability Orienteering Course on a regular basis.
On February 28th, 2014, Nick Coombs, Sue Coombs and Paul Sutherland founded The Dorset Destroyers. On May 6th, 2014, the 3 co-founders had a meeting with the governing body, GBWR who agreed to the setting up of the club and the club started running taster sessions in Autumn 2014.
The Dorset Destroyers had their first public engagement on Sunday, August 17th, 2014 at the Borough of Poole's Olympic and Paralympic legacy event.
On September 24th, 2014, Nick our Chairman and Head Mechanic was awarded a Certificate of outstanding achievement and dedication to Wheelchair Rugby at the Sports Awards Ceremony. [1]
On September 28th, 2014, the first of the 4 taster sessions were held with 5 people attending. By the final session, 14 people had attended.
The Dorset Destroyers received their first major bit of funding from the Steve Bernard Foundation in late September which bought their very first rugby wheelchair. [2]
In October Samantha Jenkins from Bournemouth University came down to write an article about the birth of the club. [3]
Bournemouth University came down to do a video and report about the start of The Dorset Destroyers Wheelchair Rugby Club [7]
In January 2015, the Dorset Destroyers had yet to start training but already had a waiting list due to high demand. [9]
Sunday, February 1st, 2015, nearly 1 year since it's original conception, The Dorset Destroyers Wheelchair Rugby Club start to train. In May 2015, the club moved to its new home at Rossmore Leisure Centre, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4HR due to lack of space at the old centre. [10]
In March 2015 the club was invited to play a friendly against Team Solent Sharks in Southampton. The result was 36-36.
On Sunday, September 27th, 2015, the Dorset Destroyers played their very first home game hosting Team Solent Sharks at Rossmore Leisure Centre in Poole. The result was 36-61 to the Solent Sharks. [11]
In May 2016, Ben Steele, one of The Dorset Destroyers was chosen for the second time to be a member of the Invictus Team UK Wheelchair Rugby Squad in Florida Invictus Games 2016 [12]
Ben Steele went on to win a Bronze Medal in the 2016 Invictus Games [13]
In August 2016, England Rugby Legend Jonny Wilkinson plays wheelchair rugby with The Dorset Destroyers [14]
Later that month Wooden Spoon Foundation invited one of the Dorset Destroyers players to be the face of the fundraising campaign [15]
In 2016/17 season, The Dorset Destroyers merged with Woodbridge Wheeled Warriors from Suffolk to play in Division 3 of the GBWR Super Series League. The Destroyers went on to win 2nd place in their first season. [16]
January 2017, Chairman Nick Coombs and Club Secretary Sue Coombs were invited to the opening of Holton Lee Livability's Spinal Unit near Poole, along with Becky Hill, one of the players and Chairperson of Back Up. They met and chatted with HRH Princess Anne. [17]
June 2017 and The Dorset Destroyers have an interview about the new expansion of disability sports in Poole. [18]
On July 2nd, 2017 The Dorset Destroyers played hosts to Invictus Team UK in a warm up for the Invictus Games in Toronto 2017. [19]
In October 2017 The Dorset Destroyers played host to Endeavour Hawks who are a military based team from Plymouth (See West Country Hawks) and it was the first time that The Dorset Destroyers had a military team to play against them.
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11563300.Top_sporting_stars_celebrated_at__annual_awards_in_Poole/
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11503951.Charity_set_up_in_memory_of_young_sports_star_Steve_Bernard_raises___200k/
- ^ http://buzz.bournemouth.ac.uk/2014/10/wheelchair-rugby-comes-to-dorset/
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11565462.VIDEO__Dorset_Destroyers_____see_what_it___s_like_to_play_in_the_county___s_first_wheelchair_rugby_club/?ref=fbshr
- ^ https://www.bybus.co.uk/2014/10/new-wheelchair-rugby-club-is-backed-by-carbon-stoppers/
- ^ https://gbwr.org.uk/wheelchair-rugby-arrives-in-dorset/
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGpwW7YRvA0
- ^ http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk//launch.aspx?eid=f0a5fccf-0b3e-45cc-a4ad-2282c4c7589f
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11757949.The_wheelchair_rugby_team_that___s_so_popular_there___s_a_waiting_list/
- ^ https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/everyone-active-leisure-centre-rossmore/
- ^ https://thedorsetdestroyers.weebly.com/fixtures-and-events.html
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14481602.Dorset_s__quot_murderball_quot__champion_Ben_Steele_could_win_Gold_at_Invictus_Games_tomorrow/?ref=fbshr&fb_action_ids=1717771161844649&fb_action_types=og.shares
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14488353.UPDATE__Wheelchair_rugby_player_takes_bronze_at_Invictus_Games/
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14657319.WATCH__England_rugby_legend_joins_Dorset_murderball_stars___and_scores/?ref=fbshr
- ^ https://woodenspoon.org.uk/club/dorset-destroyers/
- ^ https://thedorsetdestroyers.weebly.com/division-3-super-series.html
- ^ http://www.holtonlee.org/hrh-the-princess-royal-officially-opens-new-spinal-injury-centre-at-livability-holton-lee/
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15339608._We_are_all_disabled_but_our_disabilities_are_just_a_very_small_part_of_our_lives__Dad_shares_his_vision_for_disabled_sports_in_Dorset/
- ^ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15393726.Dorset_Destroyers_vs_Invictus_Team_UK__what_happened_when_wheelchair_rugby_sides_met/?ref=fbshr
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/our-match-against-invictus-team-uk-the-dorset-destroyers/?trk=v-feed&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_detail_base%3BA7YTDG0TwCCVUbBPKFBkHQ%3D%3D
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpWnrbuMQfI