  We consider a non-perturbative formulation of an SU(2) massive gauge theory
on a space-time lattice, which is also a discretised gauged non-linear chiral
model. The lattice model is shown to have an exactly conserved global SU(2)
symmetry. If a scaling region for the lattice model exists and the lightest
degrees of freedom are spin one vector particles with the same quantum numbers
as the conserved current, we argue that the most general effective theory
describing their low-energy dynamics must be a massive gauge theory. We present
results of a exploratory numerical simulation of the model and find indications
for the presence of a scaling region where both a triplet vector and a scalar
remain light.
