IPF celebrates success at British Sport Golf Championships
The RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF) recently enjoyed a hugely successful day at the annual British Sport Golf Championships at Edgbaston Golf Club in Birmingham.
Four IPF teams, made up of members and trustees, took on one of the country’s finest courses.
Many IPF members have been introduced to golf through taster sessions as part of the charity’s IPF Engage Programme — and have since fallen in love with the sport.
IPF Trustee Judy Metcalfe, who was instrumental in setting up golfing opportunities for IPF members, said: “Golf is one of the few sports where players with and without disabilities can compete on an equal playing field. There are no barriers.
“We work closely with The Golf Trust, led by Cae Menai-Davis and his team. They coach several of our members and provide access to the Paragolfer (also known as Paramotion). This specialist mobility device raises wheelchair users into a standing position so they can swing a golf club freely and move around the course. It means everyone can play together, whether competitively or just for fun.
“In my 12 years as a trustee with the IPF, it’s been incredible to watch the growth of disability golf and the positive impact it has had on so many of our members.”
Life-Changing Impact
IPF Welfare Officer John Burgess shared how the Paragolfer helped him rediscover a sport he thought he had lost forever.
He said: “After my spinal cord injury, I never imagined I’d play golf again — but the Paragolfer brought it back into my life.
“When you stand up for the first time in 20 years, you are a little anxious because you wonder if the machine really will support you, but it does. You learn to trust it, and you’re in control, raising and lowering yourself via the control panel and driving around the course.
“It’s an incredible piece of equipment that can truly change lives. At one of our open days, an IPF member stood up in the Paragolfer and told us it was the first time in 30 years he’d been able to kiss his girlfriend face-to-face at the same level. That was a lovely moment.”
IPF member Duncan Campbell, who plays with the use of one arm following a stroke, has even earned international honours since first trying golf just three years ago, and is now employed by the Golf Trust as a community coach.
He said: “Golf has changed my life. I was reticent when I first tried the IPF golf taster day because I didn’t think I would be able to do it. At the time, I was a 19-stone couch potato sitting at home scoffing chocolates and watching TV. Now, most days I'm out in the fresh air, walking around a golf course, enjoying life.
“Today’s tournament was an enormous amount of fun. I’m hugely grateful to the IPF, and in particular to Judy, who has encouraged me throughout my golf journey.
“Taking up golf, I felt like a sports person again for the first time since my stroke. It has improved my mental and physical health so much. It really has changed my life for the better.”
A Day to Remember
IPF members Iain Millar and Hamish Minton also competed at Edgbaston.
Hamish said: “Events like today are so beneficial. They’re really wholesome and a nice way to take your mind off things.
“The best thing for me about the IPF is that it doesn’t just focus on healthcare or physio or mental health. It's also about having fun. And today was just that: fun.”
For Iain Millar, a seasoned golfer who has represented Broken Playaz and Scotland on the EDGA Tour, this was his first outing with the IPF.
“I’ve loved it,” he said. “It's been a long time since I played with rugby lads, and playing with these guys has been refreshing because we’re all the same, the banter is different. It means the world to be part of that rugby family again.”
The IPF came an impressive second in the pairs’ competition, and trustee Judy Metcalfe took home the Ladies’ title.
To learn more about the RFU Injured Players Foundation, visit: RFUIPF.org.uk.
