ChildFund Rugby has now partnered in Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Timor Leste, Samoa, Fiji, Malawi, and South Africa.

The two partnerships in South Africa and Malawi are a starting point for the continent but the aim is to leverage the ChildFund Rugby and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 partnership and ongoing legacy by driving future investments and mobilising an increased number of children to benefit from learning.

Globally, already more than 52,000 new rugby players have been registered while more than 55,000 sessions have been delivered which incorporate rugby and life skills. Furthermore, rugby now has delivered more than 1,800 coaches accreditations, half of which are women!

Some of the key areas identified are expanding and exploring the rugby and life skills curriculum as part of the RWC Sevens 2022 legacy into Limpopo in the north of South Africa, as well as expanding in Malawi and the potential introduction into Kenya and Uganda.

ChildFund Rugby delivers impact through partnerships to ensure an equitable and inclusive future across the globe. Funds raised through Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 partnership will be used to support partnerships in Africa to:

  • Promote gender equality through rugby;
  • Support young people to respond to the ongoing challenges of COVID 19;
  • Support sustainable game growth for all in a safe environment.

In addition, 10% of all donations from the public will be provided to South African Rugby Union’s official charity partner, the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund. The event in Cape Town was the most attended Rugby World Cup Sevens event of all time, with 105,000 tickets sold for the three-day event.

Over the course of the past decade, ChildFund Rugby’s partnerships have ensured that more than 50 per cent of players and coaches are girls and women. The integrated rugby and life-skills learning ensures that children and young people are able to be future rugby champions and future leaders in their respective communities and in some cases, also on the global stage.

The organisation has also been involved with key fundraising initiatives including Race to Rugby World Cup 2021, a challenge which has seen Ron Rutland and Adam Nunn cycling from Japan to New Zealand ahead of Rugby World Cup 2021 of which ChildFund Rugby is also the official charity partner.

As attention turns to the global women’s showpiece, Play for ImpACT was also launched to coincide with the tournament due to start in New Zealand in October 2022. ChildFund Rugby is the first ever Principal Charity for the women’s edition, and it will be a renewed opportunity to urge the global rugby family to support women and girls to have equal opportunities to play, learn, and lead on and off the rugby pitches around the world.

ChildFund has partnered with World Rugby over 3 major events and is currently looking at opportunities to deepen the partnership to deliver game growth and life skills learning across the globe.