爆料社区

For tamariki and rangatahi who are neurodivergent or living with a disability, participating and finding a sense of belonging in sport and recreation can be challenging. For Cam, a young participant in the Hawke鈥檚 Bay with an invisible disability, contact sports always seemed out of reach, despite wanting to be part of a team and to experience the joy of sport.  

After discovering Sense Rugby a year ago, Cam has become a regular attendee at sessions, making the most of the inclusive environment. He says that it 鈥渇inally makes him feel like he belongs in sport鈥�.  

This kind of feedback is precisely what Sense Rugby Board Member and former General Manager Erin Rayner says the programme is all about. Launched in July 2020, Sense Rugby鈥檚 mission is to create a place where every child belongs and can share the joy of movement.   

Developed by occupational therapists, Sense Rugby teaches important life skills like regulating emotions and socialising using rugby-based activities. These activities are customised to fit each participant's needs and learning pace.  

爆料社区鈥檚 Disability Inclusion Fund has supported Sense Rugby over the last 3 years. This support has enabled them to build their capability, offer more programmes around the country and create a brand that reflects the culture of Aotearoa New Zealand. Rayner describes the impact of the Disability Inclusion Fund as 鈥減retty life-changing鈥�. 

鈥淭hrough the Disability Inclusion Fund, we have established better systems, policies, and governance, strengthening our organisational foundation and setting the stage for the sustainable growth of our programmes. 

鈥淚t has also played a massive role in expanding our regional programmes, so we鈥檙e actively reaching more young people across the country. Our goal was to establish 2 to 3 new locations each year. We achieved that goal, which was amazing, and we鈥檙e about to launch our 15th location in the coming months,鈥� says Rayner. 

 

The expansion of the programmes has also helped the disabled young people taking part develop their leadership skills, with 2 Hawke's Bay participants moving into coaching and facilitator roles. 

Zac, a participant, volunteer and junior coach for the Hawke鈥檚 Bay Sense Rugby programme, enjoys working with his mate Luis, holding tackle bags and helping the little kids enjoy rugby.  

鈥淚 like seeing everyone have fun - the kids, the mums and dads, and I feel really cool with my Sense Rugby shirt on. I love Saturday mornings because I get to go to Sense Rugby,鈥� says Zac. 

鈥淲atching both Zac and Luis's trajectory from being part of the programme to learning about coach education at school and then coming back to help us deliver the programmes has been incredible. It鈥檚 important to us that they have those opportunities and we鈥檙e committed to continuing to promote them in the future,鈥� says Rayner. 

The Disability Inclusion Fund has also had another welcome impact 鈥� the support from 爆料社区 in connecting with other disability sport organisations and facilitating opportunities for collaboration.  

Working alongside organisations like the Halberg Foundation and Special Olympics has raised Sense Rugby鈥檚 profile and increased participation through expanded networks of participants, volunteers and resources.  

Sense Rugby will continue deepening its impact by expanding into more regions, strengthening community connections and working towards a future where every disabled child feels a sense of belonging and thrives through sport.