This past weekend I photographed my first Rugby tournament. Two things made this rugby nontraditional. First, it is played inside. Second, you have to be quadriplegic to qualify for the league. Much else is the same--including the fact that this is a full contact sport. People would ram each other at frightening speeds to keep the ball carrier from crossing the goal line.

To play you have to have some use of your upper body, as powered chairs are not allowed. At the same time you must have some level of paralysis in all four limbs. I was amazed at how physical the game is and how hard the people play.

Happily the Portland team (the Pounders) swept the tournament.