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If you have a child who has Special Educational Needs (SENs) and Additional Vulnerabilities, Wimbledon RFC invites you to bring your son or daughter to try out our Inclusive Rugby section. Sessions run every Sunday morning from 9.30am during the season and we offer a variation of tag rugby with lots of warm up games and set drills appropriate to our players.
The aim is for the children to do what loads of other children do by taking part in the great sport of rugby and that is have fun. They will also learn new skills along the way and develop in a variety of ways but that's a bonus.
If you have a son or daughter between the ages of 7 & 12 (or thereabouts) and think they just might enjoy what we have to offer then bring them along to one of our sessions and give them a chance. There's no charge for the first few weeks and the subs are reduced for this group if you do decide to stay and, more to the point, you and your children may just find a whole new way to have fun and an exciting new club to join.
As seen on TV!
On 8 June 2024 the entire club were able to watch with great pride as two of our wonderful Inclusive Rugby players - William and Ben - acted as ball carriers at the start of each half of the Gallagher Premiership Final between Northampton and Bath.
Their journey to Twickenham started with a visit from ITV's David Flatman who came to the club to tell the kids that they had won this prestigious opportunity thanks to their contribution to charity fundraising.
One of the boys parents from the Final shared the following feedback on how Wimbledon RFC's Inclusive Rugby section has positively affected his family...
"All of you have made such a fundamental difference to Ben’s life, giving him the confidence and ability to believe in himself he now has through this great sport. I said to Chris Robshaw this morning [8 June 2024] (sorry, let me pick up that name I just dropped) did he remember training the inclusives? He said yes, but shame about the noisy one who was named after a black-and-white striped animal.
I then said to him, it took weeks to get Ben onto a pitch with 10 people. This afternoon he’s walking onto a pitch with 82,000 people on it. If that doesn’t show you how incredible the inclusive concept is then what does?
It is only really this evening I am realising the enormity of what you have all achieved. Bringing someone from a point that they could not bear to even be in a team, to a point at which they were happy to walk out in front of a full Twickenham Stadium.
All of you should be so incredibly proud of what you have achieved not just for the mainstream children but in particular for the children who have been through the inclusive pathway. Much love."
A pathway to mainstream rugby
It is not unusual for some players to move to the mainstream group either at their age or close to it. This will be if they have mastered the basics and seem keen for a more competitive game. It is not an aim though as happens naturally, when it does.
Next steps
To find out more, please contact the team manager at inclusiverugby@wmrfc.co.uk
Keep in touch with news from your age group with Spond
We organise comms via Spond. Join your age group(s) with the following link:
Inclusive Rugby: https://group.spond.com/JCAFR