Backup World Cup wheelchair travels across the world in stranger's luggage

Fri, 11 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Rabbitohs 10, Knights 20

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Irish national wheelchair rugby league player Oran Spain broke his wheelchair at training in Wollongong while preparing for the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.

A family member put out a call on Irish radio for someone travelling to Sydney to take a replacement chair with them.

The chair was delivered by tourist Deirdre Donoghue at Sydney Airport today and Oran will use it in today's game against Wales.

An Irish tourist visiting Australia has helped deliver a specialist replacement wheelchair to her national rugby league team, hours before it was needed.

Irish wheelchair rugby league player Oran Spain snapped his wheelchair last week while training in Wollongong, where the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup is being staged.

Being much smaller than his teammates, the only other wheelchair in the world tailored for the 20-year-old was in Ireland.

At age two, he was diagnosed with XLP, a rare, life-threatening generic immunodeficiency disorder.

"We knew we had a chair at home so my family went on a mission to see if we could get the chair to Sydney," team manager and Oran's mother Susan Spain said.

Oran's uncle Austin Smith called RTE radio, Ireland's national public broadcaster, to put the call out for someone to help transport the chair to Australia.

Deirdre Donoghue was listening and called the radio station.

"I thought 'are they talking to me or am I hearing things'?

"I didn't know if anyone else was going to ring in so I thought I'd ring in and see if I can help out.

"I was coming out anyway to meet my friend who I haven't seen for 10 years and I heard the request on the radio on Friday and I was heading out Sunday.

"It [the wheelchair] was transferred to all my connecting flights so I didn't have to think about it — it was grand bringing it over and I thought it was important to bring it over to help out."

Oran and Susan Spain were at Sydney International Airport today to meet Deirdre and collect the precious wheelchair.

"It's incredible, this gives me the opportunity to play," Oran said.

"I've been working on this for four years trying to get to a World Cup to be selected — I've been flying over to Wigan in England to play every weekend in the summer and now Deirdre's given me the opportunity to achieve that dream.

"When I was a boy I wanted to play the running game and my only goal was to play for my country, so when I went into the wheelchair that goal shifted a little, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rugby league wheelchairs are not only tailored to the body of the athlete, they are designed for the speed and high impact of the sport.

Chairs usually cost between $4,000 and $9,000, while Australian wheelchair rugby league captain Bayley McKenna's chair cost $15,000.

"They're incredibly specialised and my broken wheelchair was tailored to me and this one Deirdre's brought over is too," Oran Spain said.

"The wheels are angled, the front bars are rounded for contact and I'm a bit smaller than my teammates, so none of their chairs would work.

"There are not many chairs that would work in the world [for me]."

With his replacement wheelchair now in Wollongong, Oran Spain rolled out with his teammates for the first time after missing his side's opening World Cup match against the USA last Friday.

Susan Spain said Oran's presence in the team is a significant moment for her family and the team.

"For him to be able to compete and do something he’s been training for and we’ve all been invested in for all these years is huge," she said.

The family tried to have the wheelchair welded after the incident, but decided not to risk using it because the weld may not have held and another impact could crack it again.

The Spain family presented Deirdre Donoghue with match tickets, an official team polo shirt, hat and pennant which the side exchanges with other teams before a game.

Ms Donoghue said her holiday will now incorporate a trip to Wollongong to watch her national side in action.

"I've got the tickets and a jersey now so I'll have to go and see what it's like," she said.