Rugby United will empower community clubs who are seeking to make long term cultural change in how they engage and become more accessible to their local communities, in order to attract players, coaches, volunteers, and match officials from Black and South Asian groups.
Why are we doing the project?
RFU baselining research has revealed a particular gap in the population of Black and South Asian people involved in rugby, 4% of the rugby population are from Ethnically Diverse community’s vs circa 20% of the total English population. (ONS Census 2021). Inline with the wider RFU Strategy this Project will focus on young people from 14-18.
How is it funded?
Rugby United is funded in part by the Rugby Football Foundation (RFF) and being match funded through fundraising being undertaken by the RFU Fundraising team. The RFF exists to promote community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities for playing rugby and other sports, and to advance the education of the public in the history and development of rugby.
What are the impacts and KPI’s?
The Hubs will work across the area to achieve 3 impacts with associated KPI’s
- More young players from Black & South Asian groups within the game and within clubs
- KPI - 10,000 more young people from Black & South Asian groups experiencing rugby
- More coaches from Black & South Asian groups
- KPI - 150 more coaches from Black & South Asian groups
- Clubs reporting an increase in numbers of young people from Black & Asian groups playing & more coaches from Black & South Asian groups at the club
- KPI - Examples of inclusion being sustained across the rugby landscape
- KPI - Clubs are reporting their offer & membership demographics have been changed through the Rugby United project
How is that going to be achieved? – Big Picture
To offer more young people from Ethnically Diverse groups an opportunity to discover a love of rugby, we are partnering with locally based organisations to run outreach sessions, taster sessions and celebration events; within schools, Mosques, Madrassas, Mandirs, Churches, Community Centers and anywhere else the newly formed Community Steering groups suggest. This autonomy will be retained by the Community Steering Groups in order to ensure the Black and South Asian groups have ownership of how and where these sessions should be run.
We will also work with Grassroots Rugby Clubs who are seeking to make long term cultural change in how they engage and become more accessible to their local communities, in order to attract players, coaches, volunteers, and match officials from Black and South Asian groups.
By ensuring these activities are being undertaken and linked together we will accelerate and ensure a long term change across the rugby landscape.
Where is Rugby United happening?
Next Steps
This project will offer resources, guidance and an opportunity to share learnings for clubs who are invested in engaging more people from Black and South Asian groups, welcoming them into the rugby family and sharing what the sport has to offer.
This project will focus on four strands of activity:
Understand and engage – Across the Hub’s we will work locally to understand the demographics of the area and ensure we connect . We will encourage clubs to fully understand their local population demographic and then to explore how and where to engage with people from Black and South Asian communities. This will include local partners.
Open Doors - Help clubs to ensure that their organisation and venues are welcoming and open for use by a range of community groups and organisations to promote local engagement.
Role Models - Targeted recruitment of coaches, volunteers and match officials directly from Black and South Asian groups, so that involvement and representation are in all aspects of the game
Play - Providing attractive playing opportunities for 14 – 18 year olds. The right playing offers, at the right time in such a way that any barriers are considered and overcome, specifically targeting Black and South Asian 14-18-year olds. This will be .
Through the work and learnings made from this project, the RFU will develop guidance for how clubs can engage their local Black and South Asian groups that have not experienced rugby before.
Rugby United will champion the value of inclusion, communities and players, to secure and grow the future of rugby clubs and the sport.
Rugby United in Practice
Watch this short video below to see Rugby United in practice at Old Colfeians Rugby Football Club
What the clubs say
Why should clubs get involved in Rugby United?
Rugby clubs should be local hubs for the community and that only works if your membership is of that community.
-Ben Hutchinson - Old Colfieans RFC
I think to attract people from diverse backgrounds enriches the landscape in the club. It also highlights a great community spirit
-Phil Clarke – Broughton Park RFC
Opens the traditionally closed game to wider and more diverse groups, showing more the beauty of our game and spreading the word. It opens up a range of opportunities to groups who traditionally have not been exposed to rugby. Seeing members of the target groups enjoy and achieve in a sport / route not traditionally available to them.
-Verne - Streatham–Croydon RFC
Inclusion is a conscious choice of repeated actions, informed by the people who matter. You have ti take rugby to the communities who are under-represented, in ways that work for them. That means you need to listen.
-Amy - Whitgifians RFC
It gives the opportunity for the club to show it's inclusive nature and that there's a place for everyone at the rugby club, whether that's playing, coaching, refereeing or volunteering.
Alex – Blackburn RFC
Why wouldn't you!
-Mark – Bolton RFC
What has been the most impactful thing that has happened as a result of being part of the Rugby United project?
- Paying for the youth coaches course. We will only change rugby by growing our future leaders and coaches. Ben – Old Colfieans RFC
- I think strengthening the already growing diverse population at Broughton Park and one of our players has been selected to play for Afghanistan over the last couple of years. Phil – Broughton Park RFC
- Seeing more children / people become part of the rugby community. Verne -Streatham–Croydon RFC
- Personal understanding and myth busting across the club – Mark - Bolton RFC
- A player saying “I feel completely comfortable being openly Muslim here. I can just break training and pray, and nobody says anything” – Amy - Whitgifians RFC
- For Sam (the coach) it's enabled him to develop his coaching and communication skills with a completely different set of players which has influenced his coaching style within the club to one that is more inclusive and encouraging which in turn is influencing the coaching style of other coaches. Alex – Blackburn RFC
What have you done? (Activities)
Streatham-Croydon RFC
Streatham-Croydon RFC have added two weekday sessions so that young players can engage without missing church services on Sundays.
Halal and vegetarian food options have been added as standard.
They are working on a Black Internationals of the club wall. They have several players who have played for Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Ireland (Grace Moore current No. 7) and England.
Old Whitgifians RFC
Old Whitgifians RFC are new to the project this season with Surrey but have started by adding a Prayer space in the Marlar Room for Friday prayers during training, as well as trousers available for this.
Halal food was served at their Minis Festival for the first time this month.
And for the girls who go to a CofE school, the now train on a Monday evening as they can’t attend on a Sunday.
Bolton RFC
Bolton RFC have progressed to Taster Sessions in schools including one Muslim School which have trusted them to deliver based on their work with the Mosque.
After consultation with the local community they are looking to move their kitchen to be able to provide meals away from the bar area which has been cited as a reason parents weren’t supportive of the kids being involved.
To make a donation to the Rugby United project please visit the fundraising page
https://www.justgiving.com/rfufoundation
If you would like to discuss funding the project in a more substantial way, please contact fundraising@rfu.com
Rugby United is funded by the Rugby Football Foundation (RFF) and delivered by the RFU. The RFF exists to promote community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities for playing rugby and other sports, and to advance the education of the public in the history and development of rugby. Charity number: 1100277
