Get into Rugby PLUS is a flagship Sport for Development program, jointly developed by Oceania Rugby, ChildFund and UN Women.

The program includes life skills learning components which build the confidence and resilience of young people, promote positive behaviour, and challenge gender stereotypes. Supporting regional initiatives to build gender equality and prevent violence, Get Into Rugby PLUS has been developed specifically for the Pacific region, and is based on ChildFund’s award-winning sport for development program, Pass It Back.

Get into Rugby PLUS – Fiji

Building on World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby initiative, and Fiji’s favourite sport, girls and boys in the program benefit from involvement in fun, progressive team activities led by trained coaches who model the values of inclusion and diversity, and create safe playing environments.

Get Into Rugby PLUS Fiji is implemented in partnership with Oceania Rugby, ChildFund, UN Women and the Fiji Rugby Union.

The program is making a positive impact on both players and its coaches. Monitoring shows that girls and boys are proactively promoting gender equality and reducing the use of violence in their lives, they now have greater knowledge and support to identify, reduce and report harassment and violence. Many coaches assert the transformative influence the program has had upon them, and have become proactive change agents for gender equality and ending violence.

Get into Rugby PLUS Fiji commenced in 2018 with 20 coaches reaching over 300 girls and boys. In 2020, over 500 players benefitted under the leadership of 32 trained coaches. The program continues to expand and strengthen.

Get into Rugby PLUS – Samoa

Building on World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby initiative, and Samoa’s favourite sport, girls and boys in the program benefit from involvement in fun, progressive team activities led by trained coaches who model the values of inclusion and diversity, and create safe playing environments.

Get into Rugby PLUS will be introduced in Samoa from 2021. The program will be implemented in partnership with Oceania Rugby, ChildFund, UN Women and Samoa Rugby Union.

Like the positive change evidenced in Get into Rugby PLUS – Fiji, the Samoa program seeks to make an impact on both players and coaches, so they proactively promote gender equality and have the knowledge and support to identify, reduce and report harassment and violence.

In parallel to Get into Rugby PLUS, with ChildFund’s support, Samoa Rugby Union is developing safeguarding standards and practices in-line with the International Safeguarding Children in Sport guidelines to ensure children and vulnerable adults are physically and emotionally safe while participating in Samoa Rugby Union activities beyond the life of the program.

Get Into Rugby PLUS Fiji and Get Into Rugby PLUS Samoa are supported by Team Up, the Australian Government’s sport for development program; by UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership), funded primarily by the European Union, with targeted support from the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women; and ChildFund.