Many former and current England players are neurodivergent, including Ellis Genge, who has dyspraxia, Red Roses Sarah Bern, who has dyslexia and dyspraxia, and former England player James Haskell, who has ADHD.

One club actively embracing neuroinclusivity is Gravesend RFC in Kent. The club has worked closely with players, families, and coaches to create a supportive environment for neurodiverse members. 

Stacey Sewell, the club’s Mini and Youth Lead, said: “For me, neurodiversity is around understanding that people's minds work differently and with regards to rugby, the way that they play and learn and can be coached needs to be adapted accordingly.”

The club has several things in place to support neurodiverse members, including guides of what behaviour from members with neurodiverse conditions might look like, access to two SEN Leads and specific classes for coaches.

Rebecca Giles is one of the club’s Special Needs Lead and SENCO for a secondary school.

She said: “We’ve delivered our own CPD here at the club where we've talked about SEND and how best to support those children of SEND.

“A lot of it comes down to things like having sessions follow the same structure each week so players know what to expect. But the most important thing is coaches’ relationships with kids and with the parents. A lot of the coaches have been open to asking questions, which has been really great.”