Trust Rugby International was founded to create a proactive platform for working towards a society that values diversity, equality and inclusivity. Initially, we were a small group of volunteers, setting up a three-month pilot project with NHS Ayrshire & Arran in 2012 to promote the benefits of rugby. None of us expected the project to take off the way it did and so many supporters to share our ideals:

Over four years, we have built our ‘Clans’, our teams in Scotland, England and Spain, and the establishment of new teams across Europe  offered our teams the chance to showcase their skills on the pitch, as Scotland’s first official unified rugby team at the Mixed Ability Rugby World Tournament, even playing demonstration games at international matches.

 

Every day, we create environments, which see players come together to help each other live up to their full potential. Many of those we work with now feel more comfortable navigating life, ready to take on new adventures. The setup of an inclusive team, a place with no prejudice or stereotypes is a crucial aspect of building confidence for a variety of social interactions outside a person’s comfort zone. As a charity, we want to bring out the very best in each individual we work with, ranging from players with and without intellectual disabilities training next to one another, to supporting people recovering from addiction to re-enter their communities.

We are working towards tackling the barriers that prevent people from accessing opportunities that rugby offers, opening up the sport to all people. Over time, several of our players have taken their first steps outside their usual environments, travelling across the UK and Ireland as well as Spain for matches, while others have been able to start further education and advance their professional careers with our help.

 

As we continue to spread the word on how to enable individuals, our players’ stories are proof of the hard work put in by all of us. Their successes prove that what we’re doing has a profound effect – that if you give people a chance, they will surprise you. Promoting social inclusion has always been our aim and while winning a game of rugby is nice, what’s life changing is to be valued by those around you.

 

At the moment, there are several projects besides our Clans that we are very proud of:

 

The Missing Trick programme: Together with Turning Point Scotland and Glasgow Caledonian Univeristy, we support people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction through a mix of rugby and university education. For many, it’s the last place on earth they thought they would find peace but upon finishing the course, many have already started further education or are training for new careers.

 

Yes, Wee Clan: Together with a number of schools, we have initiated rugby project development classes. This current project enables us to carry our work into schools across Scotland’s central belt.

 

We want to enable even more people to get active with our specially tailored programmes in the future – are you part of an organisation that could benefit or are you interested in working with us? We would love to hear from you