Rugby Canada launches new ‘Get Into Rugby’ pilot project
Community
The purpose of this project is to provide opportunities for elementary school aged children to try rugby in schools, play within their school environment and stay in the game through regular competition.
April 25, 2023 (Langford, BC) – Rugby Canada, in collaboration with World Rugby, Rugby Ontario and Rugby New Brunswick, has launched the new pilot project ‘Get Into Rugby’ in two rugby hubs in Eastern Canada. Rugby Canada was one of eight applications selected to receive support from World Rugby out of more than 50 applications from around the world.
The program designed to provide opportunities for elementary school children to try rugby in their school. Participants will be introduced to rugby within their school over a 4–8-week block in their physical education classes, have the opportunity to play in a school festival and will be invited to a local club for a ‘Try Rugby Day’ and offered the choice to stay in the game through regular youth programming at a local club.
In collaboration with the provincial unions, Rugby Canada has hired part-time sessional coaches in 10 rugby clubs across the two rugby hubs in Ontario and New Brunswick. The two hubs along with the rugby clubs in these regions were selected based on opportunities to collaborate and grow as well as identifying current and upcoming projects in each area.
The profiles of each club involved in this project represents the diversity of club settings we see across Canada, with a cluster of clubs in an urban center, rural clubs and clubs who are the only rugby offering in their city. This will help to identify the unique opportunities and challenges clubs may encounter as we look to roll this project out on a wider scale. Schools were identified through existing club relationships, an application process and targeted selection.
Once the school sessions are complete, the sessional coaches will host a festival, bringing all the kids from the three schools together for the opportunity to play rugby with their peers. Participants of the school sessions will also be invited to a Try Rugby Day at their local club and have the opportunity participate in the summer season arranged by each club. This will create the option for the youth to continue to play rugby long term.
“We are very excited to be selected as one of eight ‘Get Into Rugby’ projects across the world by World Rugby. This new pilot project has the potential to add to existing development projects in Canada aimed to grow and develop rugby,” said Rugby Development Manager, Ryan Jones. “We believe by employing boots on the ground resources in the community to introduce the game to youth, we can continue to support and enhance the existing growth of the game in Canada. This project does exactly that. This project will initiate growth with our game that we will see in the months and years to come.”
Pilot Rugby Hubs and Clubs:
Eastern Ontario Rugby Union
Clubs: Barrhaven Scottish, Bytown Blues, Kingston Panthers, Lanark Highland, Ottawa Irish and Ottawa Ospreys
New Brunswick Rugby Union
Clubs: Fredericton Loyalist, Miramichi Rugby Club, Saint John Rugby Club and Moncton Rugby Club
The project is set to support clubs as they enter the 2023 summer rugby season. Delivery in the schools have already begun with the school festivals, the Try Rugby Day and summer programming set to take place from May until August.