ChildFund Rugby Extends Principal Social Impact Partnership With World Rugby

World Rugby and ChildFund Rugby announced a continuation of their transformational social impact partnership in January 2024, signing a multi-year extension of the ChildFund Rugby Principal Social Impact Partnership.

Photo Credit: ChildFund Rugby

Both parties said this was the reaffirmation of their commitment to use rugby as a vehicle to support diversity, inclusion and learning opportunities for children and young people across the world.

Margaret Sheehan, CEO of ChildFund Australia said, “Our Union partnerships are about providing opportunities for young people to access learning and support that builds a future where youth can flourish. With the support of World Rugby, Pass It Back puts rugby’s values into action via the great game and gives youth a different vision for their future.

Both World Rugby and ChildFund Rugby see the sport as a “vital tool in changing the lives and prospects of children and young people around the globe” according to a joint press release.

• Their partnership started in 2019 and has in total raised more than 1.3 million GBP with ChildFund raising another 7 million GBP since 2014.
• More than 70,000 children in vulnerable communities around the world have been learning leadership skills, inspiring positive social change, and enabling children to overcome key life challenges.
• ChildFund Rugby has partnered with more than 30 Rugby Unions around the world, including in countries such as Laos, Madagascar, USA, Fiji, Germany and Brazil.

Photo Credit: World Rugby – ChildFund Australia CEO Margaret Sheehan (right) and World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin (left)

Pass It Back – ChildFund Rugby Principal Social Impact Partnership

ChildFund Rugby has developed Pass It Back by working closely with its rugby partners. This rugby and life skills curriculum supports children and young people to promote gender equality, reduce inequality and end violence in their communities – working towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin, said “Being a partner of ChildFund Rugby is a point of pride for World Rugby – using the power of our sport and its values to both grow the game and support critical learning for young people is a key strategy in bringing the game to new communities in new ways, including through our new global non-contact version of the game, T1. We are proud to work alongside ChildFund Rugby to show the power of rugby to unite the world in positive change.”

“It’s inspiring to see the rugby community making a real difference to lives across the globe and I am confident together with ChildFund Rugby, World Rugby will continue to create positive outcomes for vulnerable young people around the world.”

These partnerships have significantly impacted female participation resulting in some of these women going on to significant leadership roles both within their communities and internationally:

• 57 per cent of all registered players are female.
• 60 per cent of coaching accreditations are for women.

Coach Jenjen from the Philippines said: “My confidence and belief that I could successfully hold a leadership position within my community all stemmed from my experience with Pass It Back. Prior to this, leadership wasn’t even in my frame of mind, after playing the game then going on to coach really helped me to understand what I was capable of.”

Rugby Development News

• Singapore-Based SQREEM Technologies Appointed Official AI Marketing Partner For English Rugby Club Saracens.
• Zahira College Added As Leicester Tigers Global Partner Club.
• HKCR Launches Women’s Leadership Programme “LIFT”.
• What Is World Rugby’s Non-contact T1 Rugby.