By Tom Degun

Paul ShawMarch 7 - Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby has announced that former player Paul Shaw has been named as the new head coach in the lead up to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.


Shaw, who will take up the position next month, competed for the ParalympicsGB wheelchair basketball team at three consecutive Games at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

He narrowly missed out on a Paralympic medal on all three occasions as Britain finished sixth in Sydney and fourth at both Athens and Beijing.

Following Beijing 2008, Shaw began his coaching career in 2009, working with the wheelchair rugby club Crash in Southport.

He coached the Irish national team from November 2010 through to the European Championships in 2011 and was selected to take part in the UK Sport Paralympic coach development programme, from which he graduated in 2011.

Later that year he took up the position of development coach for Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby, where he has been responsible for identifying and nurturing new talent - many of whom are likely to form the basis of the next GB squad.

"I am extremely proud to have been given this opportunity," said Shaw.

"I have represented GB in the Paralympics as a player, though never to have quite won a medal.

"To get the opportunity to return once more, particularly at a time when anticipation and understanding of the sport within the UK is at such a high, is a great honour.

"I'm very much looking forward to getting started."

GB wheelchair rugbyBritain finished fifth in the wheelchair rugby competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Shaw will be looking to the help Britain make the podium at Rio 2016 following their fifth place at London last year.

"I'm delighted I shall be working with Paul," said the new Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby performance director Lorraine Brown.

"He brings an insight and a talent that comes from playing at international level for 13 years.

"His knowledge, tactical and technical appreciation of the game is world class and takes us another step closer to a GB medal in Rio."

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