Rugby league club Cadishead Rhinos are set to host inclusive rugby league sessions for disabled and neurodivergent children in the local community.
Children do not need any prior rugby experience, and sessions are completely free, participant-led, and open to all levels of ability.
Sessions are set to take place every Monday from 5pm until 6pm, with the first taking place on Monday, 20th October at Cadishead Rhinos ARLFC, Lord Street, M44 5EH.
The programme is part of TRYZ, an initiative established by the RFL and Access Sport in 2022, which focuses on delivering pan-disability rugby league across the UK, ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to play the sport in a fun and inclusive environment.
Martin Johnson, under-sevens coach and member of the junior committee, said: “One of the parents who attended our cubs sessions brought their child and their brother. We simply enquired as to why the brother wasn’t taking part, and she said they had additional support needs and it was difficult for them to do the type of thing we’re doing. It wasn’t suitable.
“We asked how we could make it more accessible and she mentioned Access Sport. It went from there. We got feedback from that parent and we found out that nearly every team had two or three children with additional needs, but were able to play. We thought that if there are a few children with additional needs playing for our teams, there must be others who can’t take part.
“We think rugby’s the greatest sport in the world. Why shouldn’t it be available for everyone? From then it was just about building it up. Sometimes it’s not going to be all about rugby, but it’s about inclusion. Even if it’s just children coming down, parents get to watch their kids enjoy themselves, then that’s a win for us. It’s one of our points in the community.
“We’ve only had a few sign-ups at the moment, but we’re expecting it to build over the next few weeks. We’re not a club doing this just for publicity.
“There’s another club in St Helens we get on with, Haresfinch Hawks and we’ve forwarded all of our information on to them. We’re trying to encourage other teams to get involved throughout the rugby league community.”
The Rhinos are a community-driven club, with an ever-expanding number of teams, from groups containing children aged from three, all the way to adult men’s, touch and masters teams.
The club, founded in 1993, have always prided itself on being a family, providing enjoyable ways to get into rugby league.
The sessions will run in collaboration with EdStart, a leading provider of PE sessions for schools and local clubs.
John Brookes is the owner and area manager of Edstart’s Warrington, Irlam and Cadishead areas, where he now lives, and has played rugby league since the age of nine.
Originally a secondary school PE teacher, John set up Edstart eight years ago.
He said: “I’ve got strong links with the rugby club. I was part of it before I set up my business. Paul Elliott, the secretary at the club, knew what we do here at Edstart and initially got me involved with the Cubs rugby sessions.
“When I got asked about working with Access Sport, it was non-negotiable because everyone in this world needs that drive to achieve. It doesn’t matter how good you are, it doesn’t matter what it is you’re doing. Success brings success in different areas. It’s all about bringing that confidence out of children.”
Edstart have a focus on nurturing and developing fitness in children to help their wellbeing and build firm foundations for later in life.
John continued: “We provide every single sport going at primary schools, secondary schools and community sessions. We want to get children active and engaged. Sport is so powerful when it comes to things like attitude, resilience, leadership, confidence and self-esteem.
“A lot of schools take pride in maths, English and science. For me, that’s going to flourish if children have got that self-confidence, that athleticism, that mental and physical understanding about themselves. That’s my drive. That’s what I want to get into all schools.
“When children go to college or they get apprenticeships, they don’t need to be told physical activity’s good for them, they’ll already know that. They’ll do it off their own back.”
Professional rugby league club Swinton Lions also hosted a TRYZ session earlier this year, where they helped 100 children from Salford learn key rugby skills.
Details for the sessions and how to sign up can be found here.
Recent Comments