THE LLANELLI WARRIORS are looking to celebrate their 20th anniversary with one of the most ambitious trips ever undertaken by a club that includes players with disabilities. The club begin their season in Betws on Sunday (Sept 4)
After 20 seasons of including players with learning disabilities in rugby, the club wanted something spectacular to celebrate.
For their 10th anniversary, the club followed the Lions to New Zealand, playing three matches of their own.
Although the Lions are again in New Zealand this summer, the Warriors were keen to do something different and go even further.
So rather than return to Wellington and Auckland, they will follow the Welsh team’s tour of the Pacific Islands by travelling to Fiji.
When the Warriors were formed, it was to give people with learning disabilities the chance to play rugby.
Growing up in one of the great rugby towns of the world, the players were perhaps the only people excluded from taking part.
But, as the club developed, the aim was not only to give them the chance to experience rugby and be part of what their friends and family did, but to have experiences that would raise their status and standing as rugby players again.
The club have found that apart from the fitness and social factors you would expect from be part of a rugby team, it has been a massive confidence boost.
Parents have regularly told the club that they can’t believe the difference in their sons. They have had social workers tell them that it’s transformed people’s self-esteem, even the way they walk and hold their head.
The club often have players come to them, introverted and quiet, but they find friends, support, at least one part of rugby they are good at, they travel and take on able bodied athletes, they socialise, they do things and some of these players go on to give speeches, captain the team or lead a singsong.
The players who went to New Zealand came back with experiences few of their peers could match and memories that will last a lifetime.
For probably the first time ever, they had other local players jealous of them and what they had achieved. It changed the players’ attitude and it changed people’s attitude to them.
That’s something which the club are are trying to create again by heading for Fiji. People talk about the rugby culture of Wales and New Zealand, but the Pacific Islands manage so much with tiny resources.
Anyone interested in rugby can relate to the dream of going out there, an exotic location and some of the best rugby players in the world, as proved by their Olympic champions 7s team. Whilst the team are there, they hope to liaise with local disability groups, sharing some of their good practise and no doubt learning some things themselves.
Obviously the tour is going to be expensive and so there will be a whole series of fundraising activities across the season and the team are looking for help and sponsorship wherever they can find it.
This will invigorate a whole community of families and again highlight the concept of mixed ability rugby, and that a disability shouldn’t be a barrier to playing the game.
The team aim to show people around the world, from Furnace to Fiji, what inclusive rugby means and they are going to give some local players the trip of a lifetime.
Add Comment