Richmond win Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award 2020

Richmond win Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award 2020

Richmond Rugby has won the prestigious Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award for its work in the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

December 08, 2020
Austrian rugby refugee project completes Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award shortlist

Austrian rugby refugee project completes Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award shortlist

A unique initiative in Austria that saw rugby clubs engage with refugee detention centres to bring about social change has become the fourth finalist in the 2020 Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

December 03, 2020
Witney Wolves join Rhino Grassroots Rugby Awards shortlist

Witney Wolves join Rhino Grassroots Rugby Awards shortlist

Witney Wolves special educational needs tag rugby team, part of Witney RFC, have joined the shortlist for the 2020 Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) or mixed-ability rugby is still at an early stage in terms of its development and the Witney Wolves tag rugby team can justifiably claim to be a pioneer of this area of the game. 

Founded 12 years ago by a group that included the parent of a child with Down's syndrome, the section is now run by Kate Nicholls and a dedicated group of volunteers, and they cater for players both male and female, aged nine to 26 and across a wide range of ability. They now have upwards of 25 regular players.

Kate says of her role with the side:  “I honestly think that the Wolves have given as much to Witney RFC as the club have given to them. Everyone benefits from this kind of outreach to the SEN community. It shows the game of rugby at its best – it’s life-enhancing for everyone involved."

Reg Clark, CEO, Rhino, says: "Rugby should be accessible to everyone and the Witney Wolves demonstrate how this can be made possible. What they've achieved already is incredible and hopefully other clubs will take inspiration from their work and set up their own sides to create further opportunities for fixtures across the UK and beyond."

Witney Wolves, Richmond FC and The Czech Strong Girls are part of a four-strong shortlist with the next finalist set to be announced on 3rd December, 2020. 

Past Winners: 

2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Eswatini/Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)
2019                KHELO RUGBY (India) 

November 26, 2020
Richmond FC shortlisted for Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

Richmond FC shortlisted for Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

Championship rugby club Richmond FC have joined The Czech Strong Girls project as finalists for the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award for their community work during lockdown which included the delivery of 380 free meals for children across their local borough.

Headed up by Dom Palacio, the Richmond Community Department, the club ran campaigns in both spring and summer to deliver free meals every day during the lockdown and holiday months to local school children in addition to a wide range of other support offered to their local community. At the time, Dom said: “We firmly believe all children deserve access to free school meals throughout the holidays and we are extremely proud to be in a position to support those that need it most. This is not about politics or picking sides, it’s about doing the right thing at a challenging time and supporting those in our community who find themselves in the most vulnerable of situations.”

Receiving the nomination on behalf of Richmond FC, Dom said: “We are extremely proud to be nominated for the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award. This nomination is fantastic recognition for our club and our army of volunteers who have been at the forefront of delivering our many community initiatives, including our free school meals programme and our food and collection points. Our thanks must also go to our club partner Community Group, our sponsors and suppliers, as well as our partner schools who have been hugely supportive throughout the year.”


Members of Richmond FC preparing meals for local children

Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino, said: “At a time when their local community really needed support, it was fantastic to see Richmond FC step up to the mark and give back to their community. They in many ways represent similar efforts many rugby clubs have given throughout the country. No club could have done more than Richmond has, however, and they are thoroughly deserving of this nomination.”

Richmond FC and The Czech Strong Girls are part of a four-strong shortlist with the next finalist set to be announced on 26th November, 2020. 

Past Winners: 

2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Eswatini/Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)
2019                KHELO RUGBY (India) 

November 19, 2020
Rhino announce first Grassroots Rugby Awards Finalist

Rhino announce first Grassroots Rugby Awards Finalist

The Czech Strong Girls has been announced as the first nominee for the 2020 Rhino Grassroots Rugby Awards.

Rhino’s Grassroots Rugby Award is back for its sixth year, and the first organisation to be revealed as a contender for taking the crown – won by Khelo Rugby of India in 2019 – is The Czech Strong Girls project, based in Velké Popovice, 20km outside of Prague.

Launched at his home-town club in 2019 with the aim of introducing girls to rugby, organiser Josef Bláha, has gone from 11 members to more than 70 in less than 18 months. The scheme, aimed at girls aged from three years of age upwards, has worked so well, he’s now aiming to roll the project out across the country, starting with a second girls-only club in a neighbouring town

Announcing the nomination, Rhino CEO Reg Clark, said: “Josef’s project has really caught the imagination in the Czech Republic, and it’s clearly that the start of something very special.

“Although still in its comparative infancy what Czech Strong Girls has already achieved is nothing short of remarkable and it is a very worth contender for the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.”

Josef commented:  “After just one year to have been nominated for this is amazing, it was just an idea but it seems to be working and we’re now looking to expand this – to go to new towns and find more competition for the girls to play against in this part of Europe.
“My aim is to have more than 20 girls in every age group because Czech girls need activities – they’re encouraged to take up dancing and athletics, but very little else, and I want to ensure they have access to rugby too.”

The Czech Strong Girls are part of a four-strong shortlist with the next finalist set to be announced on 20thNovember, 2020. 

 

Past Winners: 

2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Eswatini/Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)
2019                KHELO RUGBY (India) 

 

November 12, 2020
Khelo Rugby wins Rhino Grassroots Award 2019

Khelo Rugby wins Rhino Grassroots Award 2019

Khelo Rugby of India has won the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award for 2019.

A charity that promotes rugby across India in impoverished communities saw off fierce competition from three incredible causes in Friends of Rwandan Rugby, Visually Impaired Rugby by The Change Foundation and Grass Roots Rugby Japan 2019.

"Fantastic to be recognised by Rhino for our Khelo Rugby project," says founder Paul Walsh. "We've thousands of children playing each week and it's great fun to be a part of it. The motivation is seeing those rugby smiles. "Although Khelo has rugby as its catalyst and is what we're passionate about, our effort goes double into developing opportunities for our young players. Growing up with rugby!"

Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino, said: "Khelo Rugby is an inspirational organisation that has made a huge difference to rugby an India, setting an example to other developing nations about how to grow the game in a way that has a real impact on society."

Grass Roots Rugby Japan 2019 was specially commended for their role in providing visitors to RWC2019 with opportunities to meet local fans and players in social tournaments and events.

Khelo Rugby become the fifth winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

Main picture: Paul Walsh, together with Shuraj Sharma, receives Rhino Trophy from Reg Clark at iconic rugby pub, The Sun Inn in Richmond.

Previous winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award
2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)
2019                KHELO RUGBY (India) 

Rhino Grassroots Award

 

December 16, 2019
Visually impaired rugby completes award shortlist

Visually impaired rugby completes award shortlist

The Change Foundation's Visually Impaired Rugby programme has become the fourth and final contender for the 2019 Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

The Change Foundation first launched the visually impaired rugby side in 2016 with a touring side taking on New Zealand ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour, but have made significant progress since.

Supported by the likes of Harlequins and Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation, the Change Foundation have considerably grown the sport which has adapted the rules to suit players who are registered blind. The aim is to have a Premiership of visually impaired rugby and already several sides in the current Gallagher Premiership and Pro 14 registering interest.

The sport took a huge step forward in 2019 when a touring England VI Roses side travelled to Japan to play its first-ever Test Series against the Rugby World Cup hosts.


VI Roses
The England VI Roses

Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino, said: "The Change Foundation have created a new variant of the sport which has made it accessible to a completely new audience, one that never thought rugby would be an option – it's a remarkable achievement."

The winner announced on 17th December, 2019.

Previous winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award
2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)

Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

December 09, 2019
Rwandan rugby charity shortlisted for Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

Rwandan rugby charity shortlisted for Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

A charity that helped kickstart rugby in Rwanda less than twenty years ago has been shortlisted for the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

Friends of Rwandan Rugby was set up in 2004, three years after one of its founders, Emma Rees, started introducing rugby to local schools while working in the country on a VSO scheme.

Since then, and from a starting point where Rwanda's rugby supplies consisted of one rugby ball, the charity has played a huge role in supplying kit, equipment and training coaches across the nation. This year that support culminating in Rwanda reaching the biggest stage, as they played their first-ever Rugby World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast.

Rwandan Grassroots

Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino, said: "Put simply rugby wouldn't exist in Rwanda if it wasn't for Friends of Rwandan Rugby – it has made such a huge contribution in helping the development the sport and this year's Rugby World Cup qualifier is a testament to work they have done in growing the game."

One more finalist will be announced next week, with the winner announced on 17th December, 2019.

Previous winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award
2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)

Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

December 02, 2019
Khelo Rugby of India shortlisted for Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

Khelo Rugby of India shortlisted for Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

A project that takes rugby to impoverished communities of India to help improve the lives of young people and children has been shortlisted for the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

Khelo Rugby was launched on the back of the Jungle Crows rugby club, a side that began by taking rugby to the street kids of Kolkata, and is now the subject of a new film, Jungle Cry. The project now goes into 35 locations in Kolkata, seven villages in and around Saraswatipur in the north of West Bengal, nine locations in Bengaluru and with a group of villages in the Jarmundi block in Jharkhand.

It not only tackles social issues with children, but it also empowers adults by developing young coaches and referees.

Rhino Grassroots Rugby

Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino, said: "The work Khelo Rugby is doing is pioneering in a country such as India, they attempt to tackle serious social issues and use rugby to break down barriers. They're a very deserving finalist in this year's competition."

Two more finalists will be announced in the coming weeks, with the winner announced on 17th December, 2019.

Previous winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award
2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)

Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award

November 26, 2019
Prop Star 2019 finalists announced

Prop Star 2019 finalists announced

Rhino's search for Britain's prop icon has been narrowed to three who will all attend this year's Varsity Match where the winner will be announced at half-time.

The three contenders going to a public vote for Rhino Prop Star 2019 are:

Joey Healy, Mill Hill RFC
What they say: 'Where to begin? Father of seven, mixed ability ProjectRugby rugby coach, 1st XV manager and prop, running the London Marathon for charity and, topping it off, the first MHRFC player to play county in ten years.'

Fletch Stenniford, Whitehead RFC
What they say: 'Fletch lives and breathes playing tighthead. Has suffered concussion, dislocated his shoulder and popped it back in. NEVER stops smiling. Trains hard, plays hard, loves living in the scrum.'

Alex Wood, Trafford Metrovicks RFCC
What they say: 'Prop, rugby chairman, coaches the minis and juniors – even helps out behind the bar. Always welcomes new players to the club and organises social events too.'

The winner will be decided by public vote, with the announcement made at half-time during the men's Varsity Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University at Twickenham on Thursday 12th December 2019.

Voting form Rhino Prop Star

 

 

Rhino Black Friday pre-sale

 

November 22, 2019
Japanese grassroots pioneers shortlisted for Rhino award

Japanese grassroots pioneers shortlisted for Rhino award

An organisation set up to promote grassroots rugby in Japan during the Rugby World Cup has been announced as the first finalist for the 2019 Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award.

Grass Roots Rugby Japan 2019 was created up by a group of rugby fans in Tokyo to enable interaction to take place between Japanese and visiting rugby fans during the recently completed Rugby World Cup.

Tokyo-based rugby fans and administrators Kenji Hasui, Shintaro Abe and Hideyuki Ozawa took the lead in organising a series of events during the recent World Cup to provide an opportunity for visiting fans to play social rugby and meet local players and fans ahead of major games.

The events included hosting an International Parliamentary XV (assembled by Paul Farrelly MP), London Japanese RFC, Chester-le-Street RFC and a touring party of teams from Shanghai for social games ahead of Rugby World Cup matches. 

Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award
Kenji Hasui, Hideyuki Ozawa and Shintaro Abe receive their Finalist award from Reg Clark in Tokyo the day before the Rugby World Cup Final


All the games hosted by the group featured the tagline 'bring your boots' to encourage local players to get involved and play a game against touring opposition. 

Rhino CEO Reg Clark commented: “In a country in which basic playing and clubhouse facilities are in short supply, it was a great effort on the part of these three guys and their friends to put in so much work to enable visiting rugby fans from all over the world not just to visit Japan to watch RWC games, but equally importantly to play social rugby with local fans, and enjoy a beer with them before heading to those games. 
"I know from attending the second event how much appreciated it was by the visitors from Shanghai. GRR Japan 2019 are a very worthy Finalist for the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award this year. Many congratulations to them.”

Three more finalists will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the winner announced on 17th December, 2019.

Previous winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award
2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST (UK)
2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)
2017                SKRUM (Swaziland)
2018                SHIBUYA INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CLUB (Japan)

 Rhino Grassroots Rugby

November 17, 2019
United World Games shortlisted for Rhino Grass Roots Rugby Award

United World Games shortlisted for Rhino Grass Roots Rugby Award

The United World Games has been announced as the third contender for this year's Rhino Grass Roots Rugby Award.

Annual Olympic-style junior sports festival United World Games (UWG) has joined SOS Kit Aid and Shibuya International Rugby Club on the shortlist having been commended for helping to promote rugby in developing nations. These have included sponsoring the very first rugby refugee team (ROB) to enter their tournament in 2016, leading the way before the Olympics followed suit later that year

Next year, the 15th UWG will take place where junior athletes compete in sports varying from rugby and archery to floorball, orienteering and ultimate frisbee. Held in Klagenfurrt, Austria, it's expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from 40 different nations.

"Rugby is one of 15 sports hosted at the United World Games, but it is one that fits most perfectly into the sportsmanship, fair play, respect and multicultural camaraderie concept that surrounds the games," explains Renée Marie Carmine-Jones of UWG. 
"UWG not only offers opportunities for teams and their representatives from various nations to build their networks, but also offers free clinics for players and coaches  as well as professional assessments and feedback for match officials."

United World Games and Waisale Serevi
Fijian legend Waisale Serevi presents an award at the UWG

Reg Clark, CEO, Rhino said: "UWG thoroughly deserve the nomination for the Rhino Grass Roots Rugby Award, they don't just put on a wonderful tournament of rugby, but they go the extra mile in delivering coaching programmes for those involved: players, coaches and officials.
"They are committed to helping developing nations and even worked with local government in South Africa to make it possible for girls from a township to leave their country for the first time in order to compete in a rugby tournament."

To find out more about UWG, visit unitedworldgames.com

There will be four nominated finalists for the Rhino Grass Roots Rugby Award, with the final contender revealed in the next fortnight. The winner will be announced in December.

For more information on the award, email info@rhinorugby.com 

 

Previous winners of the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award:

2015                TAG RUGBY TRUST   (UK)

2016                KAMPUCHEA BALOPP (Cambodia)

2017                SKRUM  (Swaziland)

November 12, 2018