How Rugby League & Rugby Union Community Foundations Can Partner to Deliver Impactful Learning and Community Outcomes

by Bryn Llewellyn

At the heart of both rugby league and rugby union lies community - strength, teamwork, resilience, and inclusion. Like our celebrated work with Premier League Primary Stars, community foundations across rugby can harness these core values to deliver learning and wellbeing programmes that transcend the pitch and create lasting social impact.

Tagtiv8 was born from a desire to make learning fair and fun for everyone. Watching mixed‑gender tag rugby via Bradford Bulls in the late 90s and early 00s, it showed us what’s possible: girls and boys competing on equal terms, learning together, and breaking stereotypes through movement. That ethos - gender equality in action - became the foundation of our mission. By adding numbers and letters to the tags, we were able to combine tag rugby with thinking challenges in mathematics, phonics and spelling.

Why Community Partnerships Matter in Rugby

Rugby isn’t just a sport - it’s a powerful vehicle for community development. Rugby league’s social impact efforts focus on physical activity, inclusion, health and wellbeing, and tackling inequalities across some of the UK’s most deprived areas.

Similarly, community foundations across both codes already deliver school partnerships, inclusion programmes, and pathways into sport that build confidence, support learning, and strengthen social ties - but there’s always more that can be done.

By adapting proven partnership approaches like those seen with Tagtiv8 and PL Primary Stars, rugby foundations can amplify their reach and impact even further.

Build Collaborative Programmes, Not One-Off Sessions

Rather than sporadic school visits or one-off activities, co-designed programmes with schools yield deeper, longer-lasting outcomes.

A partnership model should include:

Joint planning meetings with schools, coaches, and education leads to identify learning priorities and target groups.
Co-delivered sessions where rugby coaches and teachers work together, blending sport-based activities with literacy, numeracy, health topics and personal development.
Custom resources that link the excitement of rugby with curriculum goals and community values.

This shared ownership ensures programmes are meaningful, sustainable and tailored to local needs.

Upskill Staff for Legacy and Sustainability

One of the biggest lessons from the TagTiv8 model is the power of equipping teachers and coaches with tools they can reuse independently. Rugby community foundations can run training and CPD sessions that help:

Teachers integrate active learning and physical activity into literacy, numeracy, and wellbeing themes.
Coaches better understand how to support learning outcomes and social skills development.
Support staff feel confident adapting rugby-linked activities for diverse abilities and ages.

By empowering educators and coaches alike, programmes continue to thrive long after the initial delivery.

Harness the 'Power of the Badge'

There’s something special about seeing your club’s crest on a resource or hearing a local player’s story in a classroom.

Evidence from sport-linked learning initiatives shows that children are more engaged when lessons connect to real-world sport identities and role models. Rugby clubs and community foundations can leverage:

Local players or alumni sharing stories about teamwork, resilience, and overcoming challenges.
Club badges and colours integrated into learning games and school displays.
Special visits to schools that tie classroom achievement to club events and match days.

This sense of pride and belonging boosts motivation, participation and long-term engagement.

Link Rugby Skills to Wider Learning Outcomes

Active, movement-based learning isn’t just for PE - it can support academic and personal development across the curriculum. By blending movement and literacy or numeracy, rugby foundations can help reframe subjects through sport-connected activities.

Examples include:

Maths and Data Skills: Tracking passes, scores, or fitness results.
Literacy: Writing match reports, reflections on teamwork, or creating podcasts about club history.
Wellbeing and PSHE: Exploring resilience, fair play, diversity, and inclusion through rugby-themed discussions and scenarios.

These approaches reflect the sport’s values while addressing key educational priorities.

Strengthen Community Impact Beyond Schools

Community foundations are already doing incredible work across inclusion rugby league programmes, rugby for SEND schools, and mental wellbeing projects. Read more here.

By partnering with local schools, health partners, and civic organisations, rugby foundations can expand their reach:

Inclusion programmes that bring rugby-inspired activity to children of all abilities.
Wellbeing camps that support physical and mental health through structured play.
Volunteer pathways that offer leadership opportunities for young people and participants alike.

These pathways help ensure rugby’s impact extends into homes, families, and wider communities. It's not just the social impacts that are impressive - check out the economic benefits from the RFU here.

A Call to Action for Rugby Foundations

The challenge and opportunity for rugby league and rugby union community foundations is clear: adapt proven active-learning and partnership models to your unique strengths and networks.

By working collaboratively with schools, upskilling staff, leveraging the club badge, and aligning sport with education and wellbeing goals, your foundation can help transform lives - on and off the field.

Let’s use the power of rugby to spark curiosity, build confidence, and strengthen communities everywhere.