Vulcan Sport Begins a New Era

Introducing Advantage: A Tennis Wheelchair Built Around the Player

Developed in partnership with the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, the Advantage helps developing players explore different seating positions, maximise their time on court and discover the setup that works best for their game.

Finding the right tennis wheelchair setup can make a noticeable difference to a player’s posture, comfort, control and performance.

However, developing that setup often requires experimentation. Seat position, angle and balance can all affect how a player moves and strikes the ball—and finding the right combination can take time.

This challenge led to the development of the new Advantage Tennis Wheelchair: an adjustable chair designed and manufactured in South Wales by the team behind Vulcan Sport. Vulcan have a slogan “Life Uninterrupted” this underpins everything they do, as they design and make products that mean athletes and users can live, work and play without interruption.

A practical problem to solve

The idea began when Geraint Richards from the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust approached company owner John Pitt about an adjustable tennis wheelchair the Trust had previously purchased.

The chair was no longer available, but its adjustability had proved valuable when working with developing players.

Rather than simply reproducing the original chair, John used its principal dimensions as a starting point and looked at how the concept could be improved.

“The existing chair worked well, but it was very time-consuming to adjust,” John explains. “The player had to be removed from the chair each time a change was made.”

This created significant periods of downtime during coaching sessions. Instead of playing, the athlete would have to leave the chair while alterations were completed before returning to the court to test the new position.

The brief for Advantage was therefore clear: create a versatile tennis wheelchair that could be adjusted more efficiently, allowing players and coaches to spend more time exploring different setups on court.

Developed in partnership

The Advantage was developed in partnership with the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, which arranged for player Natalie McDermott to work with the Vulcan team throughout the testing process.

The demo chair was taken to the LTA’s Newport Tennis Centre, where Natalie, Geraint and the team could evaluate its setup in a genuine playing environment.

This direct involvement was an essential part of the project. Measurements and engineering calculations can establish a starting point, but the player’s experience determines how a chair feels and performs in motion.

Feedback from Natalie and her coaches helped the team assess each feature and make further adjustments and modifications as development progressed.

More adjustment, less downtime

The defining feature of the Advantage is its adjustable seating system.

Players can move the seat forwards or backwards while remaining in the chair. A coach or assistant can also adjust the seat angle to refine the player’s posture, balance and playing position.

“Our chair can be adjusted without the player leaving it,” says John. “This is a huge benefit as it increases their time on court and allows them to easily experiment with different settings to discover what works best for their game.”

This means a player can test a position, experience how it feels during play and then make further refinements without repeatedly transferring in and out of the chair.

The team also incorporated additional adjustment features that had not been available on the previous model, extending the range of setups players and coaches could explore.

Helping players discover what works

Advantage has primarily been developed for developing and intermediate players who are ready to understand their equipment in greater detail.

At this stage, a player may recognise that their existing position is limiting their movement or comfort without yet knowing precisely what needs to change.

The adjustable chair provides an opportunity to explore those differences.

Moving the seat forwards or backwards changes the player’s position in relation to the wheels. Altering the seat angle can influence posture, balance and how effectively the player transfers power into the chair.

We are all individuals and one setup won’t suit everybody. Players need an opportunity to discover the position that suits their body, ability and style of play. This allows that to happen quickly, easily and without fuss.

“Being adjustable allows players with different needs, shapes and abilities to fit the chair well,” John explains. “By making those adjustments, they can easily and conveniently determine what they need to improve their game.”

Although the chair is primarily aimed at developing and intermediate players, its range of adjustment may also benefit more experienced athletes who want to review or refine their current setup.

Twelve months of development and testing

The Advantage underwent approximately 12 months of testing before reaching its finished design.

Throughout that period, the team evaluated the adjustment mechanisms and made modifications based on practical experience and feedback from the player and coaches.

Creating something adjustable was only one part of the engineering challenge. Every feature also needed to remain straightforward to use, light enough for sport, durable enough for regular court use and commercially achievable without introducing unnecessary cost.

“As always, making something that is simple, light, durable and works well without significantly increasing the cost is never easy,” says John.

“As we solved one problem, we were asked whether further adjustment features could be added. In most cases, we were able to achieve what was requested.”

The result is a chair designed for repeated setup changes while retaining the stability and responsiveness required on court.

A game-changing seat angle

For John, the seat-angle adjustment is the development he is most proud of.

“Without doubt, the seat-angle adjustment is a game-changing feature,” he says. “The difference it can make to a player’s posture—and consequently their game—cannot be underestimated.”

Seating position affects more than comfort. It can influence balance, reach, propulsion and how naturally the athlete can work with the chair.

Being able to test different angles in a controlled coaching environment helps the player understand these effects rather than relying on a single fixed position from the outset.

From the demo chair to an individual build

The testing process ultimately demonstrated exactly what the Advantage was created to achieve.

Over the course of the project, Natalie and her coaches identified a combination of dimensions, angles and settings that produced a considerable improvement in her game.

With that information established, Natalie ordered the first new TEN10/14.5, manufactured to the setup she had discovered through testing with the Advantage. Her completed chair was delivered last month.

The Advantage therefore acts as more than an adjustable tennis wheelchair. It can help a developing player establish the measurements and positioning that may eventually inform a chair manufactured specifically around them.

More time playing, less time adjusting

The Advantage began with a straightforward request to replace an adjustable chair that was no longer available.

Through collaboration, testing and engineering development, that request became an opportunity to produce something more efficient and more adaptable to the needs of today’s players.

By reducing adjustment downtime and allowing different positions to be explored while the player remains seated, Advantage helps coaches concentrate on what matters most: giving athletes more meaningful time on court.

More court time. More control. A setup built around the player.

Life Uninterrupted.

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Final Checks Complete: England’s Chairs Ready for Australia

In a recent meeting between Martin Coyd OBE, the General Manager of England Wheelchair Rugby League, and the management of Vulcan Sport, the 1% was discussed. With a team as good as England playing on Vulcan Sport chairs, the focus is on the 1%’s. It’s the small advances, minute improvements and a constant searching for perfection that make the difference.

Last week, we introduced Vulcan team members Leigh Griffiths and Keith Morgan as they prepared to attend England Wheelchair Rugby League’s final training camp before the squad travels to Australia.

The weekend represented one of the team’s final opportunities to inspect and prepare the players’ chairs before departure.

Leigh and Keith worked throughout the weekend checking, measuring, tweaking and adjusting to hone every chair, making incredibly small incremental changes to make every chair 1% better. Tiny upgrades and minute improvements take time and the sort of understanding of the product and the game that comes from years of experience, listening and learning how to make every chair as competition-ready as possible.

“The weekend went very well,” says Leigh. “It was very busy, but also very rewarding.”

Serviced, checked and strengthened

The work began with a thorough service of each chair.

Leigh and Keith inspected components including bearings, castors and wheels, looking for signs of wear or anything that could affect performance. Foot and waist straps were adjusted and enhanced with new, heavier-duty versions designed to withstand the demands of wheelchair rugby league.

One of the largest jobs was making some minor adjustments to the players’ wheel rims.

Completing even this small upgrade was one of the most time-consuming tasks of the weekend.

Leigh explains: “This adjustment involved removing and refitting the rims in very slightly different positions and it took a long time, but the players noticed a difference.” This is a great example of the sort of improvement that may be hard to notice at first glance but pushes the chairs to be even better.

Keith adds: “The two of us worked together on the rims and it will improve strength and longevity. Completing it was a long job, but it’s all about the little gains.”

With a full schedule of servicing, upgrades and repairs to complete, Leigh and Keith spent most of the training sessions working behind the scenes to ensure the chairs were returned to the players on time.

Small problems, important solutions

Most of the chairs were already correctly fitted to their players, meaning no major changes to seating position or frame geometry were required.

This allowed Leigh and Keith to concentrate on servicing, preventative maintenance and identifying smaller issues before they could become more serious.

One player had noticed that his chair did not feel quite right. Keith traced the problem to a caster that required a very small adjustment.

After time spent modifying the sit of the castor, the player immediately noticed the improvement.

“He was very appreciative,” says Keith. “It shows how something relatively small can affect the way the chair feels and performs.”

This kind of fine-tuning is an important part of the technical support Vulcan provides. A minor issue isn’t obvious when a chair is stationary, but an experienced engineer can identify it by listening to the player and using their skill and expertise to understand how the components work together and make the change that makes the difference.

Prepared for the unexpected

Leigh and Keith travelled with a portable TIG welding kit, giving them the ability to complete specialist work away from the Vulcan factory.

The equipment was used to add a small support bar to provide additional reinforcement ahead of the tournament.

“We completed a little TIG welding to add an extra support bar,” Leigh explains. “We know it will make the chair that bit safer and give it additional support while the team is in Australia.”

The remainder of the work involved the servicing and upgrades Leigh and Keith had anticipated.

“There were no surprises, which was a good thing, and we were really pleased with the results,” says Keith.

“The best chairs they have had”

The most important feedback came directly from the players.

After the servicing and adjustments were completed, Leigh and Keith spoke with members of the squad about the chairs and how they felt.

“The players told us they feel these are the best chairs they have had,” says Leigh. “That was a very good sign.”

Keith was equally encouraged by the response from both the players and management team.

“The feedback was absolutely fantastic,” he says. “They were complimentary about our work, our work ethic and the way we communicated with them throughout the weekend.”

With no further work currently planned before the squad travels, the chairs are now ready to begin their journey to Australia.

“We have done as much as we possibly can to give the team the best chance of winning the World Cup,” Leigh says.

Keith is similarly confident after seeing the players moving in their chairs during training.

“Seeing the way the players were moving and how the chairs were performing, I think they’re going to smash it.”

A personal thank-you

One of the most memorable moments came during the team meal on Saturday evening.

Leigh and Keith were thanked publicly for their contribution in front of the England squad and the Vulcan Sport leadership team, John Pitt, David Elstone and Terence Clark.

“The team gave a speech and commended us for the work we had completed,” Leigh recalls.

Both were also presented with individual handwritten letters thanking them for their work, along with notebooks embossed with the England team logo.

“It was addressed personally to each of us and handwritten,” says Keith. “It was really nice to feel appreciated. Everyone looked after us throughout the weekend and made us feel like part of the team.”

For Leigh and Keith, the gesture recognised more than one busy weekend. It acknowledged the expertise, long hours and care that have gone into supporting the players and their equipment.

Thank you to Beck & Pollitzer

The weekend’s technical work would not have been possible without the support of Beck & Pollitzer, who kindly allowed the Vulcan team to use their facility throughout the training camp.

Having a suitable space in which to service, modify and strengthen the chairs enabled Leigh and Keith to complete the work safely and efficiently while remaining close to the England squad.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone at Beck & Pollitzer for their generosity, hospitality and support. Their help played an important part in ensuring the team’s chairs could receive their final preparations before travelling to Australia.

Ready for the world stage

With the final servicing complete, there are now only two weeks remaining before the team travels to Australia.

Every bearing inspected, rim strengthened, strap tuned and castor adjusted contributes to the same objective: enhancing player confidence that their equipment is ready when the competition begins.

For Vulcan, technical support is about more than maintaining equipment. It is about helping athletes concentrate on their performance, knowing that their chairs have been built, tested and prepared for the demands ahead.

The Vulcan team is proud to have played a part in England’s preparations, and we wish the players, coaches and wider support team every success at the World Cup.

Built by specialists. Refined with athletes. Ready for the world stage.

Life. Uninterrupted.

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Meet the Team: Preparing England’s Chairs for the World Cup

Meet Leigh Griffiths and Keith Morgan, two of the experienced Vulcan team members heading to England Wheelchair Rugby League’s final training camp before the squad travels to Australia.

As England Wheelchair Rugby League completes its final preparations for the World Cup, two members of the Vulcan team will be working behind the scenes to ensure the players’ chairs are ready for the demands ahead.

This weekend, Welder and Fabricator Leigh Griffiths and Operator, Coater and Sports Assembly Technician Keith Morgan will attend the squad’s final training camp to carry out last-minute checks, fine-tuning and technical adjustments.

Between them, Leigh and Keith have more than 20 years of experience at the company. Their skills cover almost every stage of a sports wheelchair’s journey, from the fabrication of its bespoke frame to its final assembly, finish and ongoing adjustment.

From aluminium welding to athlete fittings

Leigh has worked for the company for approximately 11 years. He originally joined as an aluminium welder, but his role has grown considerably over that time.

“I came down for an interview as an aluminium welder and was accepted for the job,” Leigh explains. “It grew from there, and now I also carry out fittings for the company.”

Officially, Leigh is Vulcan’s Welder and Fabricator. Within the team, however, he is known as our “super welder” because of his ability to tackle almost any fabrication challenge placed in front of him.

Every made-to-measure sports wheelchair is different. Its dimensions, frame geometry, seating position and protective components are determined by the athlete’s measurements, physical requirements and playing style.

Leigh’s role is to translate that information into a strong, accurate and individually manufactured frame.

His involvement in customer fittings also gives him a direct understanding of the person who will use the chair. Rather than working from measurements alone, he can listen to the athlete, see their position and understand how a proposed alteration could affect the finished frame.

A background in bespoke building

Keith has worked for the company for just over nine years and joined specifically to work on sports wheelchairs.

Before arriving at Roma Medical, he already had experience creating highly individual builds through one of his hobbies.

“When I came for the interview, one of my hobbies was building custom motorcycles and cars from the ground up,” Keith says. “I had a background in bespoke building, which is why I was offered the role in sports.”

Today, Keith works across operation, coating and sports assembly. He is responsible for bringing the chair’s individual parts together, checking its configuration and helping ensure the finished product performs correctly and looks the part.

His experience has also given him a detailed understanding of sports wheelchair setup. Although his main responsibility is assembly, he occasionally takes part in fittings and can identify how changes to components or positioning may affect the person using the chair.

The final checks before Australia

By the time the England squad arrives at this weekend’s camp, the athletes will have already spent several months using their new chairs. Major alterations are therefore unlikely, but the camp provides a valuable opportunity to identify any final adjustments, damage or wear before travelling.

“I’ll be carrying out final adjustments to the England team’s wheelchairs before they go away for the World Cup,” says Leigh. “We’ll check that all the bearings are working correctly, look for any damage and make any minor tweaks that are needed.”

The work will include inspecting bearings, castors, wheels, upholstery, footrests and anti-tip settings. Wheels will also be stripped down and checked, with components replaced or upgraded where required to improve strength and longevity.

Keith explains that anti-tip settings can be adjusted to increase or reduce the amount of movement in the chair, while repositioning a footrest may help an athlete sit more comfortably.

Individually, these changes may appear small. Their effect on the athlete, however, can be significant.

Small changes, noticeable differences

Determining whether a chair needs adjustment is partly about listening to the athlete and partly about observing how they sit and move.

“You can often see when someone looks awkward or isn’t working correctly in the chair,” Keith explains. “They might be rolling their shoulders or sitting hunched over. You need them to sit and work comfortably.”

“If you can get somebody sitting upright, they can push better. If they’re not rolling their shoulders, they can put more power into the chair and achieve better movement, speed and agility.”

Leigh agrees that an athlete’s balance and seating position can directly affect how the chair feels and performs.

At this stage, any refinements are expected to focus primarily on areas such as upholstery, comfort and fine-tuning. The objective is to ensure that each athlete feels correctly supported and connected to their chair before the competition begins.

Working directly with the players

Throughout the weekend, Leigh and Keith will work closely with the players to understand what feels right and whether they would like anything increased, reduced or repositioned.

“We work very closely with the players, meeting their needs and altering the chairs as they see fit,” says Leigh.

Although the coaching team may provide guidance, the players’ own experiences remain central to the process.

“We’ll talk to the players and find out what they want more or less of,” Keith adds. “The coaches sometimes give us an idea of what the player needs, but we usually work directly with the player.”

This open conversation is an essential part of the Vulcan approach. A sports wheelchair may be engineered and manufactured by our team, but the athlete is the person who understands how it feels in motion.

More than a weekend away

Technical support at a training camp is not always as straightforward as it may appear.

Work sometimes has to wait until players have finished training, which can mean late nights, early starts and tight deadlines before the chairs are needed again.

“People might think it’s an easy trip away, but it can be quite stressful,” Keith explains. “Sometimes we have to wait for the players to finish on court before we can begin the work, and then we may have limited time to get the chairs ready for the next training session.”

Leigh also believes people may not realise how much work takes place before a chair reaches this point.

“There is a lot involved on the technical side, especially during the fitting process,” he says. “A considerable amount of work goes into getting every chair set up for the individual athlete.”

Pride in seeing the finished chairs compete

Both Leigh and Keith are Welsh and will naturally also be supporting Wales at the World Cup. However, seeing chairs they have helped create representing England on the international stage brings a genuine sense of professional pride.

“It would be nice to see the chairs I’ve worked on being successful,” says Keith. “It gives you pride in your work and allows you to see something come back from what you do every day.”

Having supported rugby league and tennis events previously, Keith particularly values the opportunity to see the equipment being used in a real sporting environment.

“It is rewarding to see the chairs out there being used,” he says.

For Leigh, the same pride comes from seeing a frame that began in the welding bay become part of an athlete’s performance on court.

This weekend may represent the final round of checks before Australia, but it also demonstrates the support that continues long after a chair leaves our factory.

From welding and assembly to fitting, observation and last-minute fine-tuning, Leigh and Keith’s work reflects the combined knowledge and care behind every Vulcan chair.

We look forward to sharing photographs and an update from the final England training camp next week.

Built by specialists. Refined with athletes. Ready for the world stage.

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Why Vulcan? A New Name for an Experienced Team

RMA Sport is becoming Vulcan Sport, but the people, experience and commitment behind every chair remain the same.

We are sharing the film created to introduce Vulcan Sport and the thinking behind its name.

The film tells that story in a dramatic way, drawing upon Vulcan’s association with metalworking, strength and craftsmanship. Behind those visuals, however, is something very real: an experienced team in Bridgend designing and manufacturing made-to-measure sports wheelchairs around individual athletes.

Vulcan Sport is not a new business starting from the beginning. It is the next stage in the development of RMA Sport, supported by the same specialist knowledge, manufacturing experience and commitment to the people who use our chairs.

Why the name Vulcan?

Vulcan is traditionally associated with fire, metalworking and skilled craftsmanship. While that history provided the initial inspiration, it was the connection with our real manufacturing process that made the name feel appropriate.

Every sports wheelchair we create begins with raw materials and a detailed understanding of the person who will use it.

Our engineers cut, shape, weld, finish and assemble each made-to-measure frame at our factory in Bridgend. But the process begins long before the first piece of metal is cut.

It starts by listening to the athlete.

We need to understand their measurements, posture, mobility, playing position, experience and what they need their chair to help them achieve. The finished product must then bring all of that information together in a chair made specifically for them.

That combination of people, engineering and hands-on manufacturing is what Vulcan represents to us.

Built around real people

The most important part of Vulcan Sport is not the name. It is the athletes who trust us to build their equipment.

A sports wheelchair cannot be treated as a standard product with a few adjustments added at the end. Its dimensions, seating position, frame, wheels and protective components all need to work together around the individual.

Specialist measuring and body-mapping technology help us capture detailed information about each athlete. Our team then uses its experience to interpret that information and determine how the chair should be built.

The athlete remains involved throughout the process. A second fitting provides an opportunity to test the chair before it is permanently completed, discuss how it feels and identify any alterations that may be required.

It is a practical, collaborative process-one built on communication, accuracy and trust.

The experience behind the new identity

RMA Sport has been developing and manufacturing sports wheelchairs since 2012, supported by Roma Medical’s wider manufacturing experience.

Over that time, we have worked with people entering their sport for the first time, established clubs and athletes competing at the highest level. Every fitting, build and conversation has contributed to the knowledge within our team today.

That experience is not being replaced by Vulcan. It is the foundation on which Vulcan is being built.

The name and appearance are changing, but our fundamental approach remains:

• We work directly with athletes and coaches.
• We manufacture made-to-measure chairs around individual requirements.
• We involve the athlete throughout the fitting and build process.
• We continue learning from feedback and competition experience.
• We support athletes from grassroots participation through to elite sport.

Vulcan gives our sports division a clearer identity of its own – one that better reflects its focus on performance, precision and individual fit.

Made in Bridgend. Built for the individual.

The creative story behind Vulcan may begin with metal and craftsmanship, but its real meaning can be found in our factory every day.

It is in the conversations that take place during a fitting.

It is in the experience required to turn a set of measurements into a workable frame.

It is in the hands of the engineers who build, inspect and assemble every chair.

Most importantly, it is in the finished equipment being used by athletes on courts and pitches across the country and beyond.

Vulcan Sport is a new identity, but it represents work we have been committed to for many years.

The same team. The same experience. A stronger identity for the future.

Vulcan Sport – engineered for performance and built around the individual.

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