BY JJ HURLEY
CORK’S Rebel Wheelers captured their fifth consecutive InsureMyHouse.ie IWA National Cup title in a row and now look odds-on to add a fifth league title in as many years too.
The Rebel Wheelers defeated South East Swifts 64-54, leading from start to finish at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.
For the former team coach and now boss of the international team, Con Coughlan, Ballinhassig, who still keeps a hand in, their success is built on consistency, with five of the current side claiming their fifth medal at Friday night's success in Dublin.
Competition remains fierce in its ranks, with the Cork side fielding not just one team but also a second side in the national league, and growing numbers in its junior ranks ensure a steady stream of talent continuing for the future.
That is a point not lost on team member, Ballinhassig’s Conor Coughlan, who scored 14 points in the team’s latest triumph.
'The Rebel Wheelers’ set-up has been savage over the last few years in producing players; the club have looked after us and nurtured us,’ he explained.
Part of that exciting conveyor belt of success now includes Keakill's Oisin O'Connor, who got his first taste of national success, coming late into the fray as the Cork team secured the victory by ten points against South East Swifts.
It was a real family affair for the O'Connor family, with dad Wesley issuing instructions from the line as part of the coaching staff.
The team is also grateful to Health Care 21 for its sponsorship, as the sport has its challenges, with each wheelchair costing in the region of €6,000.
Three victorious team members, including Conor Coughlan of Ballinhassig, Jack Quinn and Derek Hegarty, are all regular internationals in the green jersey. The Irish outfit took a bronze medal at the European Championship in September and narrowly missed promotion to the next tier, as Portugal and the Czech Republic grabbed the places.
For Conor, the game has offered him tremendous opportunities, earning him a full sports scholarship from UL, studying sports science and currently on placement with the Irish Wheelchair Association in Cork.
While he has received several invitations to join the professional game, Conor is committed to completing his studies at the Limerick Centre of Learning.
Incidentally, having been forced to give up hurling at U12, the invitation from a Ballygarvan man and former Paralympian Paul Ryan led him to the sport, and now both men line up on the same side.
For Conor, one of the bonuses of their success is the greater media attention it has brought to sports played by those with disabilities, who may not have previously featured on the sports pages.
For Con Coughlan, who is Conor's dad, the club's success is not just on the basketball court; the Rebel Wheelers Multi Sports Club provides an outlet to over 130 families throughout Cork in sports that include rugby, boccia, athletics, GAA, tennis, soccer, karate and much more.
