Collaboration brings new opportunities for participation
Partnership supports life skills, gender equity and leadership
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 has partnered with ChildFund to help improve the lives of children and young people across Africa. A first-ever charitable partnership for a Rugby World Cup Sevens, ChildFund and World Rugby have now partnered together on three successive Rugby World Cups, benefitting over 50,000 children around the world in the process.
ChildFund are set to support a festival of sevens rugby in Cape Town this September, having already been appointed Principal Charity Partners of Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand as well as taking on the same role at Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.
ChildFund believes in the power of sport to change children’s lives and ChildFund Rugby, its rugby for development initiative, implements a range of innovative and award-winning sport for development curricula, giving children and young people from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to play, learn and lead. The organisation has also been at the heart of fundraising initiatives including Race to Rugby World Cup 2021, a challenge which sees Ron Rutland and Adam Nunn cycling from Japan to New Zealand ahead of Rugby World Cup 2021.
To celebrate the launch of the partnership, ChildFund have produced a short video showcasing a partnership in South Africa, which is using the Reconnect curriculum to encourage children and young people to both play and coach rugby, whilst also learning key life skills, including how to support gender equity and set goals.
Margaret Sheehan, CEO of ChildFund said “ChildFund is looking forward to using the power of rugby to positively impact the lives of children and young people across Africa. We are proud to partner for a third Rugby World Cup, and with the support of the rugby family in South Africa and beyond, we are excited to build on a growing legacy of more than 50,000 vulnerable children around the world that have had opportunities to play, learn and lead through rugby.”
Alan Gilpin CEO of World Rugby said “ChildFund have shown that they know how to use rugby to change lives and we’re delighted to be partnering with them again for Rugby World Cup Seven 2022 in Cape Town. Together we will have befitted over 50,000 young people, showing solidarity, integrity and respect, the values that rugby is famous for being put into action.”
Emily Chancellor is thrilled to be stepping back out onto the international rugby stage with the Wallaroos for the Rugby Women’s World Cup 2021, being played in New Zealand in November 2022.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wallaroos are back to a full-time training schedule. “It’s nice to be back together as a team, good to be back out on the paddock and blow off some cobwebs,” said Emily.
A fierce competitor on the field, Emily is just as passionate about achieving gender equality for girls and women through sport. She believes that children and young people can overcome gender disparities by learning to play rugby and that, with the right support, women and girls can break free from social gender stereotypes.
Emily Chancellor at practice.
“I got an opportunity to go to Laos with ChildFund Rugby, formerly known as ChildFund Pass it Back. It was such an incredible experience to see boys and girls playing rugby for the joy of the game and from any predisposed ideas about gender or biases – but purely for the game and the love of it.”
ChildFund Rugby promotes the right for children and young people to play and learn in their community. The project builds an environment where participants can develop vital life skills, take part in health and education project, and promotes gender equality.
During her time in Laos, Emily was able to experience firsthand the positive impact that playing rugby can have on a child or young person.
“The project builds not only rugby and social skills but builds on education and important health messages that they can teach as well as educating boys and girls on how to be coaches. It’s such a great project and I was so lucky to see and be reminded that rugby is fun.”
Young women who take part in the project have gone onto to become coaches themselves. Through these leadership opportunities, their confidence and leadership skills soar, and they often become respected community leaders and decision-makers.
Emily shares that in countries like Laos, there are limited leadership opportunities for women, and this makes breaking away from social gender norms very difficult.
“There’s some incredible young girls and women I’ve worked with in Laos. I think for so many people have seen a pathway for women in the rugby world. It’s opened an international connection.”
Aside from promoting gender equality, Emily also says that the project is the reason that many children are excited about going to school in the morning.
“It’s a purpose, it’s a reason to come to school. It’s a reason to run around and make friends. It’s a way of bringing developing countries into opportunities that say women have a right to a job and an education and I think that’s really exciting!”
Emily is proud to be advocating for gender equality and girls in sport ahead of the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
If you’d like the opportunity to meet Emily Chancellor, join us for the ChildFund Rugby Long Lunch – hosted by ChildFund Australia on Friday 9 September 2022.
ChildFund is delighted to be the first ever Principal Charity Partner for the Rugby World Cup 2021, taking place in New Zealand in October.
Following a hugely successful partnership for the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan where rugby fans and commercial partners around the globe pledged more than $3.5 million, ChildFund is delighted to share our appointment as the first ever Principal Charity Partner for the Rugby World Cup 2021, taking place in New Zealand in October. We are particularly honoured to be supporting global efforts to encourage and advocate for women’s participation in sports through this partnership, alongside promoting sport as a means of empowerment, community, and development.
Funds raised from this event and the Rugby World Cup partnership will go towards supporting more women and girls from vulnerable communities, creating strong, collaborative women’s rugby networks in different countries, and building effective pathways for women’s involvement at all levels of the game.
