UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION

 May, 2005

Hall of Fame Inducts Two

On the 23rd of May in Louisville, Kentucky, the United States Quad Rugby Association inducted two of its members into its Hall of Fame. Established in 1989, the USQRA Hall of Fame was created to enshrine, in the form of a permanent record, individuals who have exerted a distinctive, positive influence of unique dimension on the sport of Wheelchair Rugby. Those inducted into the Hall fall into one of two categories: the first being a competitor, such as an athlete or a coach; and the second being a non-competitor, an individual who has made significant contributions to the sport. At this year's awards ceremony, the USQRA inducted individuals from each category.

The evening’s first inductee was an athlete who was selected to be inducted in 2004, but due to a scheduling conflict received his honors this year. Chris Cook, a.k.a "Cookie," is a .5 who began his rugby career in San Francisco in 1989 with Quadzilla, a team that he named and for which he served as captain.

Over his career Chris was known as one of the leagues most durable players, and was a model of consistency in the .5 class. Always a student of the game, he kept a book on opponents both in the U.S. and internationally, which often gave his teams a tactical advantage before a game even began.

Chris always sought an edge with strategies or chair modifications, and some of his better-known innovations helped shape the evolution of the low-point chair today. His bumpers, which he initially adapted to protect his size 13 feet, gave many high-point opponents nightmares.

In 1993, Chris made his first National Team and was named a Captain of the team that won the Gold at Stoke Mandeville, England. In another fine display of his legendary durability, he added a second Gold Medal at Stoke the following year as the only .5 on the team.

In 1995, Chris was selected to represent the USA in Wheelchair Rugby's first World Championship in Notwil, Switzerland. Team USA again won the Gold, and he added a third medal to round out his collection. Chris is the 11th person inducted into the USQRA Hall of Fame and the first .5 honored within its membership.

John Bishop was the second Hall of Fame inductee for 2005. Back in the day, John was a solid class 2.0 for the South Florida Rattlers, but his true impact on the sport was not on the court, but off.

John quickly assumed a leadership role with the Rattlers, as a bang-up fundraiser and organizer. He is still the driving force behind South Florida’s annual Knock and Roll tournament, and has organized many of the Atlantic Sectional, Regional and Valdosta Cup tournaments over the years.

Driven to provide leadership in areas beyond his club team, in 1996, John stepped up to serve on the USQRA Board of Directors, and was elected Treasurer, which he served for seven years. As a Board member, John acted as primary fundraiser for the organization, all the while providing a voice of reason and wisdom. Though no longer officially on the USQRA board, John still serves on many of its committees, and continues to assist the association in many ways.

In 1999, John expanded his repertoire by serving as Team Leader for the US developmental team that won Gold at the World Wheelchair Games in New Zealand. His tireless efforts again earned him the Team Leader position for the 2000 Paralympic Rugby Team in Sydney, Australia.

John continued in the same position through the 2002 World Championships, and then at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. His diligent work in planning training camps, making travel arrangements and scraping together additional funds, all served to provide Team USA an extra edge going into every competition.

Perhaps one of John’s best known accomplishments has been the development of the USQRA website, quadrugby.com. Started from scratch in 1996, the website has been a constant source of information and communication throughout the global rugby community. John’s tremendous efforts, over the last decade, have opened the eyes of thousands of people to our incredible sport.

Congratulations go out to both John and Chris for their well deserved inductions. To read more about these inductees, or others in the USQRA Hall of Fame please visit: www.quadrugby.com/hof 

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