ChildFund Rugby & USA Rugby team up to empower women leaders
January 20, 2023
ChildFund Rugby – led by ChildFund Australia and the principal charity partner for the Rugby World Cup 2021 – has joined forces with USA Rugby to bring its "Grassroots to Global" series to the United States. The series generates action to mitigate the challenges young women face in joining and staying involved in the sport in support of World Rugby’s ambition of equity on and off the field.
ChildFund Rugby uses integrated rugby and life skills curricula to help young people from vulnerable communities overcome challenges, inspire positive change and take active leadership roles within their communities. Its rugby for development programs are focused on achieving gender equality, reducing inequality and ending violence against children.
Grassroots to Global began in 2021 in Laos as a way to provide community rugby leaders with tools to drive global change for future generations of girls and women. A key pillar of the program is the opportunity for unions to host forums which offer female community leaders the chance to network while exchanging ideas and discussing barriers to participation within their countries. Through the series, ChildFund Rugby has partnered with 26 rugby unions on 22 Forums across six continents, uniting young women leading rugby at the community level around the world.
“We can see the passion and inspiration for their sport and for developing leadership from this grassroots group and we are thrilled to play a small role in supporting their personal and professional development,” said Margaret Sheehan, ChildFund Australia CEO.
On January 7, the USA Grassroots to Global Forum in North Carolina brought together 14 women representing ten states to identify strategies and actions to address barriers and boost participation in grassroots rugby. “Listening to these incredible women leaders speak passionately about how their work is positively impacting their futures further emphasizes why rugby is the way forward,” said Katie Wurst, Assistant Athletic Director at Warren Wilson College.
Rugby is the fastest-growing sport in the United States according to research from Nielsen, with over 2,600 rugby union clubs across the country including college rugby teams. ChildFund Rugby leverages the sport to equip young women and girls with strong leadership skills as well as other important life skills that build resilience to disadvantages.
"Participation growth in rugby stems from the grassroots level in the United States, where programs and outreach such as these are key to positive progression,” said Ross Young, CEO of USA Rugby. “Placing a focus on the empowerment of young women is a central element to that growth.” He also added that USA Rugby and ChildFund Rugby will collaborate further and work towards successful Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033, which will be held in the United States.
In 2017, ChildFund was awarded the UNICEF Safeguarding Children in Sport Award at the Beyond Sport Global Awards.