This summer, the annual Mixed Ability Rugby Festival took place at Kilmarnock Rugby Football Club, bringing five teams together - Ayrshire Clan, Borders Clan, Strathmore, Edinburgh, and the Kilmarnock Polar Bears - for a day of inclusive competition.
The yearly event adopts the inclusive style of rugby which breaks down barriers for players by using different coloured scrum caps to signal how hard they can be tackled. Inclusive rules allow able-bodied players to play alongside less able-bodied players, ensuring no one gets left out.
The start of something big
Current Kilmarnock RFC president Ivor Frater was involved in the inclusive game when it first started in Scotland over 10 years ago. He told us:
“I was approached in 2012 and asked to help coach a new inclusive team here at Kilmarnock.
“At that time, I’d just started working for Enable so it felt like a perfect fit for everything I was passionate about.”
From the first session, Ivor was hooked, telling us how fantastic it was to see individuals given the opportunity to play and be part of a team for the first time ever.
A year after that first training session, the team played their first ever competitive games, inviting two squads up from Wales and England to play in a mini tournament.
“We lost both of those games but honestly it was one of the best experiences of my life,” he told us.
“Just the joy that it brought to the boys and the pride in being able to go out in a team strip.”
Off the pitch
The following year, the team, now known as the Ayrshire Clan, travelled to play the same two teams in Wales and won both games.
“To win was obviously brilliant but just the trip in itself was a huge experience for the boys.
“Some of them had never been outside of Ayrshire or stayed in a hotel before so in terms of stepping outside of their comfort zone and developing their independence off the pitch, that was huge.”
Growing the game
Since those initial tournaments, the game has grown in Scotland with inclusive teams now based in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Fife as well as the Northeast and the Borders.
“It’s amazing to see how much the game has come on and wherever a team has popped up, they’ve had immense support from Scottish Rugby and the professional teams,” Ivor told us.
“Edinburgh Rugby have actually adopted the Edinburgh team who are now known as Edinburgh Rugby Inclusive Team.
“They train at the Hive and have the same kit as the pros which is really cool.”
Scotland’s inclusive teams play mainstream teams all over Scotland and are always looking for more competitive opportunities.
“If any clubs have a third or an over 35s team looking for games, it would be great if they could consider linking up with inclusive teams,” Ivor expressed.
Changing lives
Stevie Main is a School Rugby Officer with Scottish Rugby and was also involved in the inclusive game from the offset. He still coaches the Ayrshire clan and shared how impactful the game has been for his players:
“I think one of our main goals is always to make it as normal as possible,” he told us.
“So, when we come together to play, we’ll go to the clubhouse for a few drinks after just like any other team would.
Those experiences, which may seem ordinary for others Stevie explains are significant for some of his players to whom it has helped their personal and social development massively.
Just this month, two players from the Edinburgh Rugby Inclusive Team travelled over to the Mixed Ability Rugby Invitational Club in Italy.
“That was the first time one of those boys had been away from home, so he had to get his passport, and everything sorted,” Stevie told us.
“So, it really isn’t just the game, it’s everything that comes with it - experiences like that are just invaluable for our players.”
To the future
Stevie and Ivor were pleased to reunite this summer at the Mixed Ability Rugby Festival where new rules for the game were trialled.
“There’s a bit of a mix of rules going across teams at the moment so we’re currently in the process of trying to establish a solid set of laws and guidelines for the inclusive game.
“This will hopefully make the game a lot more fluid and make it easier for mainstream teams to come and play our inclusive teams.
Going forward, Stevie and his team are looking to deliver workshops to support coaches and players and hope to see the game continue to grow across Scotland.
Scottish Rugby’s Director of Rugby Development Gav Scott commented:
“Inclusion is really at the heart of the rugby community. It’s so important we find a pathway for everyone who wants to be involved with a rugby club, on the field or off it – and Kilmarnock are a fantastic example of this.
“Ivor and his team have been running festivals like this for years now, with the support of people like our own Stephen Main, and you can see from the faces of the people involved just what it means to have an outlet like this where everyone can take to the field, no matter your ability or previous experience in the game.
“Going forward, we want to keep supporting alternative game formats such as this one, but we’re also excited about new formats coming to the fore soon.”
