ChildFund Sport for Development – Online Safeguarding in Sport Project

The Childfund Sport for Development (S4D), who are behind the successful Pass It Back rugby and lifeskills programs operating in Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia, have launched a global online Safeguarding in Sport project.

The online pilot program “supports sports organisations to improve their safeguarding practices. Twenty-nine organisations registered their participation and to date, the first two out of four learning blocks have successfully been delivered” say ChildFund Sport For Development.

Who has signed up to ChildFund’s Safeguarding in Sport: Online Learning pilot project?

A number of sports associations have signed up to the pilot project. In Asia, notably, there is involvement from the Philippines Rugby Football Union, Bangladesh Rugby Union, Syria Rugby, Nepal Rugby Association, Qatar Rugby Federation and Pakistan Rugby Union.

The full list of sports organisation partners are divided into 6 groups:

1. Team Africa: including Rugby Tackling Life, Kenya Rugby Union, Mauritius Rugby Union and Botswana Rugby Union.
2. Team Philippines: including Philippines Rugby Football Union, Philippines Basketball, Philippines Olympic Commission Athlete’s Commission, Ju-Jitsu International Federation, Jiujitsu Federation of the Philippines and Ateneo de Davao University/Mindanao Peace Games.
3. Team Asia: including Bangladesh Rugby Union, Syria Rugby, Nepal Rugby Association, Qatar Rugby Federation and Pakistan Rugby Union.
4. Team Hong Kong: including the Hong Kong Elite Athletes’ Association.
5. Team Americas North: including Rugby Americas North, Barbados Rugby Union, Mexico Rugby Union, Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Union.
6. Team Oceania: including Badminton Oceania and Apelu Sports.

Photo Credit – ChildFund Sport for Development – Online Safeguarding in Sport project

ChildFund’s Safeguarding in Sport: Online Learning pilot project has six targeted learning outcomes and they hope to have delivered all learning blocks by the end of January 2021.

The six outcomes are:

1. Identify safeguarding priorities
2. Define key safeguarding terms
3. Develop a safeguarding Code of Conduct
4. Create a safeguarding reporting resource
5. Build a social services map
6. Develop a policy outline

In October 2020, ChildFund and Oceania Rugby announced they were will be expanding their program to “strengthen safeguarding systems across rugby to Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, following commencement in Nauru in February 2020.”

Photo Credit – ChildFund Pass it Back

Pass It Back and rugby development

ChildFund Pass It Back (PIB) rugby coaches in Vietnam and Laos implemented the rugby and life-skills programs under the Reconnect project, following the impact of COVID-19 in 2020.

By the date of publishing, more than 7,000 Reconnect sessions have been delivered to more than 6,000 players across Laos and Vietnam.

Rugby World Cups & Pass It Back

Pass It Back was an official partner of RWC 2019 in Japan, and Chris Mastaglio (Director of ChildFund Pass It Back) told us earlier this year – “The big impact was the profile of Pass It Back being raised at the Rugby World Cup. For the partnership, the idea of an international federation partnering with an NGO and finding some strategic alignment, that was really interesting.”

At the RWC 2021 draw for the women’s rugby world cup in New Zealand, Pass It Back said via its digital platforms: “Thanks to our friends at World Rugby for recognising our partnership work with Asia Rugby and Oceania Rugby by welcoming us to the pool draw for Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand! A special thanks to our colleagues at ChildFund New Zealand for joining, along with a special guest, who we look forward to introducing soon!”

Rugby Asia News

• ChildFund Pass It Back: Creating Rugby Pathways.
• Karina Soerjanatamihardja: Growth of Women’s Rugby in Indonesia.
• Laos & Iran become World Rugby Full Members, Nepal an Associate Member.
• Rugby World Cup 2023 – Asian Official Travel Agents.