Wheelchair rugby was once known as murderball

Still a relatively new sport, wheelchair rugby's full-on contact and explosive play has earned it plenty of admirers.

The games are held on a basketball court between teams of four players, using a ball similar to a volleyball.

The objective of each team is to score a goal by touching or passing with the two wheels over the goal line of the opposing team, while holding the ball.

Both men and women take part in one eight-team tournament.

Wheelchair rugby originated in 1977 in Canada, but has rapidly developed across the world.

The sport made its full Paralympics debut at Sydney four years ago and proved to be incredible success, with packed-out venues and an exhilarating atmosphere.

The competition schedule in Athens consisted of 24 matches, with 12 qualifying matches, four placement matches, four semi-finals and four finals.

Teams are mixed with athletes classified according to their level of disability between 0.5 and 3.5 points

The highest grade is given to the player with the lowest degree of mobility impairment.

Throughout the game the total grade of the four players on the field must not exceed eight points.

Every team consists of four basic players and eight substitutes and the objective is to get the ball over the opposing team's goal line.

The match is divided into four periods of eight minutes each, with a one minute intermission at the end of the first and third period and a five minute intermission at the end of the second period.

The players can, while moving, hold the ball on the thighs, pass it to a teammate or bounce it on the ground, but must either pass the ball or dribble it at least once every 10 seconds.

Wheelchair rugby has gone from strength to strength in Britain over the last five years, and Team GB were very unlucky to miss out on a medal in Athens.

Ranked fourth in the world, Britain made a storming start to the tournament in Greece remaining unbeaten in the group stages.

Their run was finally ended in the semi-finals with a 39-defeat to New Zealand before losing the bronze medal play-off 43-39 to the USA.

The squad for Beijing includes eight members from Athens, and are now captained by Andy Barrow. It is his second Paralympics and after another fourth at the World Championships in 2006 the team are determined to go one better.

Hereford's Josie Pearson, 22, is part of the 12-strong squad and will be the first British woman to compete in the sport at the Paralympics.