Warriors Community Foundation is supporting the See Sport Differently initiative which is designed to encourage more blind and partially-sighted people to get more physically active.
The Foundation has been pioneers of blind rugby, a modified version of the sport that was devised and developed at Sixways and is now the official face of blind rugby in England.
See Sport Differently is joint initiative between Sport England, Royal National Institute for the Blind and British Blind Sport designed to break down barriers in sport and increase opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to participate in physical activity.
The Foundation will work in partnership with The Change Foundation to develop Blind and Visually Impaired Rugby throughout the UK.
“We are both passionate about using sport to transform lives and build opportunities,” said Chris Stephenson,” the Foundation’s Adapted Sports Lead.
“We know, and our experience shows, that sport is a powerful tool for engaging and inspiring people, helping to improve physical and mental health, boost confidence and self-esteem, strengthen communication skills, encourage teamwork, foster new friendships and build camaraderie and community.
“Our organisations use sport as a platform for social change and believe that sport is for everyone with no exception. We are committed to working closely with our communities and creating opportunities for people to lead healthier lives, and to create inclusive access to rugby.
“Between us we have been creating the inspirational and completely new sport of Visually Impaired and Blind Rugby for over five years, designed to build on rugby’s commitment to social inclusion and personal wellbeing.
“We have been piloting these game with youth and adult clubs throughout the UK. The gameplay takes into consideration a wide range of sight conditions whilst maintaining the fundamental codes, laws, and spectacle of rugby to both the players and spectators.
“Partnership is key to everything we do, and we believe that by working as part of the See Sport Differently Project, we can continue to build on our existing achievements and achieve our ambition to make further advancements in the accessibility of rugby both nationally and globally in the future to make it as inclusive as possible.”