Carolina Crash Quad Rugby

09/14/2026

The next player up is one of the founders of Carolina Crash, Dave Jenkins!

I started playing rugby in 1996. This sport has allowed me to get back into team sports and be competitive. That was something I didn’t think would be possible after my SCI. I have met so many amazing people over the last 30 years. And while I have had my share of strained muscles and broken bones, this sport has given me much more than it has taken. It has given me an identity and a purpose. Of all my accomplishments I am most proud to wear #10 for Carolina Crash

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09/09/2026

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Behind every Carolina Crash athlete is a story of resilience, determination, and courage. For over three decades, this volunteer-led program has helped…

08/31/2026

Our next featured player is John Robinson!

I joined the Carolina Crash around 2007. I like to consider my role on the team as the H2O specialist. My favorite thing about playing with the Carolina Crash was definitely hanging with my fellow SCI peeps - it was an opportunity to play a sport that was specifically created for SCI quadriplegic athletes and to share that experience alongside other SCI quads. I also want to recognize the incredible dedication of Rebecca, Jenn, and Duda. Their commitment over the years have been instrumental in the continued success of the Carolina Crash. We’ve built something special here in Charlotte. The Carolina Crash is more than a team. It’s a community.

08/24/2026

Our next player up is Mike Savicki!

It's hard to imagine our team from Charlotte has been around for 30 years. After first learning about the sport through a clinic at the 1991 National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Miami, when I was newly injured and the sport was in its infancy, I remember inviting Terry Vinyard and some of the Tampa Generals to put on a clinic for players from across the Carolinas and, from that, the seeds were planted. In the early days, 1 remember playing against about a dozen different teams from across the Southeast, mostly in empty gyms and parking lots, and now the majority of them are gone but the Crash continue. I remember inviting a 3.0 player, Peter Martin, to join us for a season from New Zealand and live with me with no guarantees we would even make nationals (and rugby wasn't even his first sport) and we did. Peter came back the following season and brought along a young 2.5 player, Patrick Ryan, from Australia and we went back to the nationals. Playing for the Crash gave me the foundation to then play both at the national and international levels, across the USA and the South Pacific, always coming back to a gym in Charlotte with Greg, Matt, Chad, DW, Jenkins Doug Luther, and Mike Duda in those early years, too. To this day, I can travel to any state in the country, and nearly any country in the world, and I know someone through rugby. To me, the sport and our little Charlotte team has always been about people. I hope the current generation of Crash players, plus those in the future, get to experience all of that, too.

Mike Savicki

08/18/2026

Get those travel grants in!!!

CAF’s 2027 Annual Grant Program will open for applications on September 28 and close on November 13 (only seven weeks). It's highly competitive, so mark your calendar and apply early!

The program supports athletes with physical disabilities by providing funding for adaptive sports equipment, training, competition expenses, and more.

We’ve made important updates to ensure grants reach athletes with the greatest need. You can find info + tips to help you prepare on our site.

08/17/2026

The next player up is the man, the myth, the legend, Brian Muscarella!

I joined the team in 2011, and it quickly became much more than a place to play. I was classified as a 2.5 but played as a 2.0 because of my age, and later as a 1.0.

With a full roster, I spent my first few years subbing in before finally earning a spot in the lineup. Being part of this team taught me independence —learning how to travel, navigate non-accessible hotel rooms, and move through the world in a wheelchair with more confidence. Attending tournaments surrounded by so many other wheelchair users was truly life-changing.

Through rugby, I found friendships and a community I might never have discovered otherwise. I'm proud to have stood by the team during its lean years and helped mentor players who have grown the team to what it is today. If it were not for injury, I would still be out there playing or at least practicing. Even now, I'm grateful to remain connected by supporting the team through administration and fundraising. Let's GO CRASH!!

Brian Muscarella

08/11/2026

Our next featured player is Greg Taylor - who helped start a Quad Rugby Team in Charlotte and played an instrumental part in not only growing the sport but recruiting others to start our very own Carolina CRASH!

I was on the original start-up committee for the team in 1995. I started as a 2.0 but was later dropped to a 1.5 due to old age. We started league play in 1996 in Valdosta Ga and won our very 1st game. However, we played another two years before we won another. I played for almost 25 years before calling it quits.

I miss everything about wheelchair rugby. I got to play from coast to coast with and against some great people. Visited places that I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise.
Most of all, I grew and learned so much from others about what's possible with a disability

Greg Taylor

07/27/2026

To help begin celebrating 30 years of Crash - we would like to introduce some of our former players throughout the years until we make it to our 10th annual tournament in January!

First up: Chad Foster

I was part of the team from the very first tournament in Valdosta, GA. I don't remember what year that was, 95 or 96. I was a low pointer, class 1. Briefly, I was a 1.5. What was my favorite part about playing? Where do l begin? I guess, being a quad, I played many sports, but I was never known as being the best or even among the starters. However, in rugby, I was a starter from the very beginning. I also was a part of 6 all tournament teams. I loved the camaraderie between the the teams. I loved all of the traveling.
Of course, making life long friends and just being a part of the Carolina Crash organization.

Chad Foster

07/22/2026

Coming January 2027! Exciting stuff! Celebrate not only our 10th annual Queen City Collision but 30 YEARS OF THE CAROLINA CRASH! Join us for our tournament January 9-10 2027 at UNC Charlotte Belk Gym!

05/05/2026

Had a couple rugby players join us today at ASAP (Adaptive sports & Adventures Program) tennis program! Good to see these guys cross training a little bit!