Wimbledon RFC's Inclusives show that rugby is for everyone
Rugby prides itself on being a game for all and at Wimbledon RFC, the last decade has seen rugby bring exciting new opportunities to children with a wide range of physical and learning challenges.
As a founding member of the RFU involved in the development of the game, from drafting the first Laws of Rugby in the 1800s through to involvement in the establishment of the Calcutta Cup, Wimbledon RFC is now determined to set a new trend for the future through a team that could impact thousands of lives. This team is aptly called The Inclusives.
The innovative programme was set up by a group of teachers, rugby coaches and parents looking to ensure this could truly be a game for all. And what they have already achieved is incredible.
Why The Inclusives is so important
Parents of children with additional needs have very few avenues for them to be involved in physical activity or team sports, while their younger and more informative years bring the biggest opportunities for change and development.
Accessing team sport can be both a physical and mental challenge for these children and their families. Sport can seem inaccessible, limiting their ability to interact with people their own age and leading to isolation and frustration.
Anything that helps to advance their ability and confidence is empowering as they advance through the age groups, as well as bringing cognitive and motor skill development.
The Inclusives actively welcomes children with autism, a range of learning difficulties, and a wide range of physical or genetic disabilities, encouraging them to learn a whole new set of personal skills from their love of rugby. This can often lead to team members graduating through to mainstream teams, joining tours, festivals and finding firm friends.
The coaches spoke about their passion for The Inclusives and what it can achieve in a short film made by one of the parents that you can watch here.
This year, two of the graduate players from Wimbledon RFC were selected to be the official ball carriers for the Gallagher Premiership Final at Twickenham and their story shows just how much of a difference this surprisingly simple concept can make to the lives of so many children and their families.
Ben Lort-Phillips, who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and William Pangbourne, who has left side hemiplegia after a stroke when he was a baby, are both now players in the 2024-25 under 10 squads, and are positive proof of the programme’s achievements.
From Reluctant Child to Team Joker
Ben had been “not connecting” at school with children his own age, and found participating in team sports a huge challenge. It seemed that for him and his family, the prospect of being able to head out on a Sunday morning to join other parents watching their child enjoy rugby was unattainable. In addition, Ben’s sister Louisa was born with Cerebral Palsy, and he has taken on a role in caring for his sister and his younger brother Archie, who has also joined Wimbledon RFC after being inspired by his brother.
His father Charlie said: “When we first took him to Wimbledon we were met with huge anxiety from Ben. We spent weeks wondering if it was worth what he and we were going through, having a child so upset for all that time, but every week we got a bit closer, just watching. It seemed there was no way he was going to take part. Then one day, Stéph Laventure, one of the coaches, judged the time was right. He walked past and casually threw Ben the ball with no expectation, as if he had known him for years. Once Ben had the ball in his hands the magic had started.”
Now, in the under 10s, Ben’s progress has been immense. He prefers to walk himself into the club, sees the clubhouse as his personal playground, knows all the coaches, and is one of the jokers in the team, covering himself in mud and throwing himself into the tours with huge enthusiasm. Outside the club, he is more engaged with children his own age, loves team sports, and has learned to cope with many of the challenges that previously held him back.
An Incredible Sporting Drive
Having suffered a stroke at just three weeks old, William has a form of cerebral palsy which limits the use of one side of his body. Despite these limitations, he has developed a passion and drive for sport and loves taking on a challenge. During covid lockdown, he cycled 100km for a local charity Small Steps - which played a key part in his own rehabilitation - on a specially adapted bicycle, raising thousands of pounds for other children with physical disabilities and their families.
William’s mother Kate said: “William loves sport and is amazingly driven. Seeing him running out onto the pitch at Twickenham showed just how inclusive rugby can be, and we hope it will inspire other children with similar issues to have a go at rugby. At the end of the day he just wants to get out there and play sport, to be like everyone else, and that’s what drives him to succeed.”
William has developed his own method of catching and passing the ball, becoming a key player in the team with a spin pass that impressed even Freddie Steward.
From the Dons to the Cabbage Patch
After a call-out to grassroots clubs asking for inspirational young players to stride out onto the pitch at the Premiership Final, Head of Mini’s rugby at Wimbledon RFC and coach for this season’s Under 10s Ben Smith put the pair forward for consideration and almost immediately was contacted to say they were perfect for the job.
Former England star David Flatman came to the club and surprised the boys - who believed they were doing a charity photoshoot for the club - telling them that they were to run out in front of a capacity crowd for one of the biggest rugby events in the calendar. He called their efforts both on and off the pitch ‘inspirational’, and was there on the day to introduce them to stars of the game such as Chris Robshaw, Freddie Steward and Chris Ashton before their big run out. It was a day neither family will ever forget. Ben’s father Charlie said: “The change we’ve seen has been incredible - here is a boy who would not go onto a pitch with a dozen people on it a few years ago, and is now confidently running into a stadium with 82,000 people watching him!”
The Pathway from Inclusive to Mainstream
The Inclusives team who set the boys off on their rugby journey includes managers John Woods and Richard Johnston, head coach Stéphane Laventure, and coaches Edward Beale, Matthew Benwell, Karine Gloux, and Alex Fitzgerald. All take part as volunteers.
Coach Matthew Benwell said: “It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done with my life. I have played rugby for 28 years, coached for coming up 20, and refereed badly for a few! I have coached men’s rugby, women’s rugby and youth rugby. I have loved every minute of my time with the game – but none more so than my time with The Inclusives. I’ve watched changes in my young charges over time, but can’t possibly overstate the reward I get from seeing the changes in the kids I coach.”
The children’s love for the sport and the confidence it brings them is abundantly clear. One boy was non-verbal and found moving at pace a huge challenge when he arrived with the team, but developed his communication and gameplay to the extent that by the time he left he was communicating in full sentences and running to score tries, often outwitting the able-bodied children playing against him.
The enthusiasm of the coaches and their tailored approach to every child meant that Ben and William, alongside all the other children, felt fully immersed, treated equally, and able to play in their own unique way. They played alongside children with a huge range of needs, but all were able to take part fully in every session and come away knowing they were part of a real and passionate team. For many of the children this was the first time they had been able to be included in a team sport and enjoy all the benefits and confidence that came with it.
Parents Benefit Too
It has not just been a revolution for the children. For the parents it provides, often for the first time, a chance to meet and socialise with other parents who have a true understanding of the challenges involved in being a parent of a child with additional needs.
Matthew Benwell added: ‘So many parents need to connect and feel “normal” - just for a few short hours. They can connect with other parents about those challenges and grow stronger together alongside the children we are coaching’.
For those suitable for progression into a mainstream age group, the process is sensitively managed by the coaches. When Ben and William transitioned from Inclusives to mainstream, they were accompanied by coaches from both teams, given dedicated attention and reassurance, and introduced to their new team in a gradual and supportive process that allowed them to make the change at their own pace.
Ben Smith said: “When I was first approached about Ben and William transitioning, my first and only thought was 'yes of course, absolutely'. Through coaching you always have to adapt to all sorts of different characters and abilities, this was no different. The one thing that stands out for me since they have both been in the squad has been how the other kids have responded to their involvement, it is as if their differences weren't even there. Kids are kids, and they treat each other as such. It’s the adults around that notice the differences and point them out, and we are the ones with the power to change that.”
For those coaches receiving their new Inclusives players, there is a real awareness of how incredibly important this team is to their club as a whole. The Inclusives is an integral part of the club’s ethos, and is a source of great pride.
Looking for expansion and opposition
The Inclusives coaches, and many of the families who have benefitted from the team, are incredibly passionate about finding other grassroots clubs wanting to adopt the concept and local teams against whom they can play tournaments, or visit on tours.
Ben’s father Charlie said: “The benefits are huge. Just imagine if other grassroots clubs felt able to use the incredible potential of this amazing sport for children with learning difficulties, and with the right support and outlook there is no reason why they can’t.
“The impact this could have on vulnerable children nationwide would be huge. Rugby really can be a force for incredible change in the lives of some truly vulnerable and marginalised kids across society.”
Ben Smith added: “This sport has given me some amazing experiences, some of the best memories of my life and the most reliable and solid friendship group anyone could ever wish for. Offering that opportunity to Ben and William is what rugby is all about, and I am proud that our club stand at the forefront of that.”
The Inclusive Team at Wimbledon RFC is a shining example of the power of rugby to affect real change in the lives of young people. They would be delighted to talk to any club wanting to adopt a similar concept and hope they might find some to play against in the near future!
For more information about The Inclusives or to arrange a visit/match please get in touch by emailng the team on inclusiverugby@wmrfc.co.uk or contact the coaches directly: Matthew Benwell: 07894 719 474 Stéphane Laventure 07729 265 249 John Woods 07950 842 301 Edward Beale 07939 052 378 Richard Johnston 07974 147 753
