Short Break Stories

Trust Rugby Tours

A story by Trust Rugby International

Trust Rugby International provided Rugby Tours working with 50 youth players aged 15 – 21 years. We did this by taking groups on day and overnight trips to learn rugby and interact with peers to help develop social skills, to allow individuals to achieve their goals and build confidence.

This also gave parents and carers the opportunity to relax knowing that the person was in a safe environment.

What Trust Rugby Tours did

The types of breaks we have delivered to our group this year where the WoodenSpoon Tag Festival in Telford, with young adults with learning disabilities coming from all over the United Kingdom, our group spent the weekend away from their parents and support. Festival at Edinburgh Accies ,local festivals and also the Rugby PRO 12 Final at Murrayfield Stadium. Our group that attend the festival and trips enjoyed it very much. This is due to fact they had time to spend with there friends old and new and playing some rugby in a different enrolment.

We were also able to send 7 of our younger Clan players to Cork Ireland and also to the Mixability Rugby World Tournament. These trips where not just an opportunity for the guy to play rugby in different country and to meet new people from around the world but it was also to opportunity for them to be a little more independent being on a trip away from there regular support networks.

As well as the youths on the trip enjoying them and getting that feeling of independence, we would work close with the parents or support network of our guys to reassure them that they would be taken care of properly, and also encourage them to take advantage of this time. With this time the parents and support that would normal care did a variety of things, going for the shopping stress free, spending time with their other children and just sitting in front of the television and relaxing.

One of our 18 year old youth players attending our trip to Cork Ireland to take part in a game for the Clan. This was the first time that he had been away from this family by himself. With the help of his team mates and the support from Trust Rugby International staff he had an excellent few days away.

Attending his first professional rugby game and enjoying playing against and meeting players from a different country. This short break then helped him attend the Mixed Ability Rugby World Tournament. This trip took place over a week and our young player was confident that he could attend the tournament and be away from his family knowing his team were there to help him. His confidence showing this also in turn helped the family to know that he would be looked after and they they could enjoy the time he was away to catch up with friends and spend time with other children they have.

Since these 2 trip for our player we have seen his confidence grow strength to strength, he is know attending our rugby session weekly without his family having to drive him to training and he is about to start a role with tri as an apprentice rugby coach working with our current rugby coaches and development team.

For one of our events we had changed it to later on to allow our groups to attend the rugby PRO 12 final at Murrayfield Stadium. We changed it not only as this would be a great event for the group to attend but also to try show them where they could be in a few years time. We were able to do this as the Scottish Clan would be playing in the back fields at Murrayfield before this final against Ireland's Unified rugby side.

This allowed our younger group to see a team of role models in action that is made up of players with Down Syndrome or Autism representing there country. This helped to show the youth group that they too can represent there country in rugby and that if they have a goal in there life they can achieve it.
Another of our players who attended the Mixed Ability World Tournament, this was to be the first time he had been away from his family and support for more that 24 hrs. We worked closely with the parents which allowed them to have a week to relax and do what ever they wanted to do during this time. Knowing that there son would be safe and look after by us. They made the decision that they wanted to see there son play for Scotland's Unified rugby side at this event.

They travelled down not as part of our squad but on there own and stayed in different accommodation. This meant that they could spend time together and visit the sights around Yorkshire and when Scotland had a game they could come and watch there son play and then after the games, knowing that he would be with the team they would go and spend more time together.

This show a couple of things, with us working with all our players parents and support it gives them confidence in us. It also shows the pride that the parents have in there some for wanting to come down and watch there son represent his country.

What Trust Rugby International has learned

Our biggest learning has been working closer with the parents and cares of our groups. This be came more evident when we had looked to change part of our programme to a new event that had come up that we thought would be a good experience for our group. We work much more closer to help parents and the cares to get their option on the change and in the process we have developed a strong link with them.
Top tips Trust Rugby International's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project
Tip 1:
Set up good links with the parents and carers of your group. This helps with events of trips you have coming up to show them that they can relax when their child is under your care
Tip 2:
Have a good group of people involved in your organisation making sure that they follow the same values as you do and that they are there getting involved for the right reasons
Tip 3:
Do not be afraid of having a bit of risk in your activities to help develop your youths taking part