ChildFund Rugby Updates - November 2024

CHILDFUND RUGBY AND WORLD RUGBY

Impact Beyond 2025 to harness Women’s Rugby World Cup’s positive impact globally

Following a successful partnership across the past three editions of the tournament, ChildFund has been appointed as the tournament Social Impact Partner for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. ChildFund Rugby is proud to be part of Impact Beyond 2025, World Rugby’s global impact programme designed to ensure the positive impact of Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 is felt for generations to come. We are excited to play our role and partner with Unions to champion the power of girls and women through Grassroots to Global, a community leadership initiative that connects grassroots female rugby leaders. Through national and international forums, these leaders will work on strategies to break down barriers and drive participation for girls and women in rugby, with a focus on community coaching.

Learn more here .

World Rugby and Stepathlon partner to promote wellness and support ChildFund Rugby

World Rugby and Stepathlon are collaborating on ' The Road to Twickenham ' initiative in celebration of Rugby World Cup 2025, encouraging physical activity and building fan communities globally!

Participants will take part in wellness challenges and virtual walks, where they can choose to raise funds for ChildFund Rugby to help provide more children and young people with opportunities to play rugby, learn life skills, and develop leadership through sport. 

Our team can’t wait to rack up some miles, and we hope you’ll join us! 

Impact Beyond South Africa

We were excited to join the  Impact Beyond Summit in South Africa , sharing insights on how Sport for Development can complement sport development initiatives, and unlock new types of support for Unions. Colleagues from six Unions – Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Tunisia and Madagascar - participated and shared their perspectives on opportunities to use rugby as a vehicle to deliver evidenced social impact in their communities.

We look forward to joining the next one in Dubai for Asia!

Experience a piece of history

Tickets for Rugby World Cup 2025  have already started to be snapped up, with unprecedented demand for what promises to be the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup ever. The ticket application phase is on from  5 November to 19 November !  Don’t forget when purchasing your tickets to make a donation to support ChildFund Rugby to empower more girls and women through rugby worldwide.

CHILDFUND RUGBY AMBASSADORS

We are thrilled to announce that Rikki Swannell and Pun Wai Yan have joined us as the newest ChildFund Rugby Ambassadors! 

Rikki Swannell 

Rikki is an accomplished sports broadcaster with more than 20 years’ experience. She commentates for World Rugby, including Rugby World Cups and the HSBC SVNS Series, and leads commentary for Super Rugby, New Zealand competitions, the Olympics, and Commonwealth Games.

With her passion for rugby and a commitment to social impact, Rikki is keen to support ChildFund Rugby to amplify our message around the transformative potential of rugby, particularly for girls and women.

Pun Wai Yan (PY)

PY represented Hong Kong China Women 15s at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 and most recently at WXV, showcasing her talent on the international stage. In 2023, she was honoured to be named as captain of the national team. As a qualified Physical Education teacher, PY is committed to supporting young athletes, and believes in the impact rugby can have on children and youth. 

Being an Ambassador for ChildFund Rugby, PY aims to inspire and empower the next generation of players, highlighting how rugby can foster personal growth and create positive change.

Ilona Maher named in TIME100 NEXT 2024

Congratulations to Ilona Maher, ChildFund Rugby Ambassador, for being named to the TIME100 NEXT 2024 ! As a strong advocate for mental health and body positivity, she’s breaking stereotypes and inspiring girls and young women by showing that rugby is for everyone!

ChildFund Rugby Ambassadors Emily Chancellor and Pun Wai Yan visited Philippines Rugby

Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU) were thrilled to welcome ChildFund Rugby Ambassadors Emily Chancellor  and Pun Wai Yan (PY) on a visit to see Pass It Back in action.

Joined by Pass It Back coaches and players, Emily and PY experienced how integrated rugby and life skills learning is empowering children and young people to play, learn, and lead. They also had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich culture of the Philippines!

Emily and PY with PRFU Pass It Back players in Bacolod, Philippines.

PARTNERSHIPS HIGHLIGHTS

Philippine Rugby Football Union - Philippines 

In Olongapo, Albay, and Negros, 38 Pass It Back Coaches (20 female) are leading 58 teams through the mid-point of the Feeling Safe season. This module equips players to recognise violence in their communities, learn ways to prevent it, and to find support when needed.

We’re also thrilled to announce that Daneca Mae, PRFU Development Officer supporting Pass It Back in Albay, has been shortlisted for the Women of the Future Awards Southeast Asia 2024 in Sports Category ! One of Lao Rugby Federation (LRF)’s staff members, Vilayphone Chaleunnit has also been shortlisted for the award. Vilayphone started her rugby journey as a Pass It Back player in 2016 and developed into a Pass It Back Coach and now is a staff member supporting the Lao Rugby Federation continuing to grow and develop the sport across Laos. Congrats to Daneca and Vilayphone and best of luck!

Türkiye Ragbi Federasyonu - Türkiye 

Rugby in Adıyaman started in July 2023, when 16 Pass It Back Coaches were trained to deliver T1 rugby and life skills to communities impacted by the earthquakes. Learn more about the beginnings of Pass It Back in this report in the early seasons. 

One year later, Adıyaman's first-ever rugby club, Adıyaman Rugby Sport Club, was officially registered, marking a historic milestone in Türkiye’s rugby journey. Now with 500 members, Adıyaman Rugby Sport Club is dedicated to building a strong and inclusive rugby community in the region, and beyond. 

Check out this video to learn more. 

New South Wales Rugby - Australia

The first season of Pass It Back in New South Wales, Australia, wrapped up earlier this year, which saw the Playing for Gender Equality module delivered in four schools across Western Sydney. With a focus on building social and emotional skills through rugby, Pass It Back was led by 14 Coaches, including eight female leaders and reached 127 youth players. 

Read more about the first season here .

Strengthening partnerships

Senior leaders from World Rugby and ChildFund met in Australia to map out how the partnership can maximise impact globally across the next 3 Rugby World Cups, and beyond! Teams identified areas of focus for the next 12 months to maximise the opportunity the partnership has to demonstrate a best in class social impact partnership.

During the same trip, it was also great to catch up with Oceania Rugby, who will be a key partner leading forward legacy in the region around Rugby World Cups 2027 and 2029.

ChildFund Australia CEO Margaret Sheehan and World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin during the meeting in Sydney.

GRASSROOTS TO GLOBAL 2021 REPORT

The inaugural Grassroots to Global (G2G) Series in 2021/2022 united 478 female leaders from 26 Unions worldwide, fostering leadership and community connection, with many participants attending their first-ever women’s leadership event. Key barriers to participating in rugby identified included limited funding, gender discrimination, and a lack of community support, while strong drivers included female Coaches and role models.

A newly released report summarises the Series outcomes and provides recommendations for advancing equity in rugby from the ground up that G2G 2025 Series leaders will drive forward into the coming year. Discover the insights and recommendations in the report here !

CHILDFUND RUGBY AND WORLD RUGBY ANNOUNCED THE NEXT PHASE OF G2G

The G2G 2025 Series - part of Impact Beyond 2025, the legacy program of Rugby World Cup 2025 - is now live , driving the global growth of women’s rugby! Following the 2021/2022 Series recommendations, the 2025 Series emphasises breaking down barriers and leveraging key drivers to bring more girls and women into community coaching. 

With support from Gallagher, the first Grassroots to Global Forum of the 2025 Series was held in early October in Canada, bringing together impactful leaders who are championing social change through rugby across British Columbia around WXV1. 

Over the next nine months, more than 30 Forums will take place worldwide, culminating in Grassroots to Global Connect in Sunderland during the Rugby World Cup 2025 opening match festivities.

We look forward to supporting the Series in the coming months and we invite interested Unions and partners to get in touch about joining or supporting the Series. Contact us here to to learn more.

A NEW FRIEND ON THE WAY

A new spark is coming soon to ChildFund Rugby! We've been working behind the scenes to welcome someone extraordinary to the family, with an incredible ability to bring people together. We can’t disclose any further details, but stay tuned - you’ll want to meet them soon! 

PARTNER WITH US: MAKE AN IMPACT THROUGH SPORT

Partners play a vital role in supporting ChildFund Rugby’s mission to drive positive social impact in vulnerable communities worldwide.

Our partnerships are global and adaptable, designed to meet the specific interests and objectives of each partner. Whether your focus is gender equity, education, health, or community development, we work closely with you to ensure impact aligns with your mission and delivers life-changing opportunities to vulnerable youth through sport.

We’re excited to explore how we can collaborate! Reach out to us here  to explore how we can create lasting impact together.

CHILDFUND RUGBY IN NUMBERS

MEET OUR TEAM

We’re excited to introduce our Commercial Partnership Manager, Dan O’Driscoll, the newest member of our team, based in the UK. Despite sharing a surname with Irish rugby legend Brian, Dan is English, and of course an England Rugby fan! 

Dan brings experience from global partnerships in motorsport, triathlon, and UK-based Sport for Development charity Sported. He has worked with major brands like Monster Energy, Red Bull, Barclays, and Vodafone, and is passionate about the power of sport to change lives.

Welcome to the team, Dan!