RUGBY PROGRAM A SUCCESS
THE Get Into Rugby plus program has made an impact on young children and their coaches in boosting their confidence and having gender equality in sports.
Oceania Women’s Rugby director Cathy Wong acknowledge the support of UN Women Fiji MultiCountry Office (MCO).
A partner to Oceania Rugby in delivering a regional initiative using rugby to promote gender equality and prevent violence against women, girls and boys, both on and off the rugby field.
“It builds on World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby initiative, by embedding life skills components to rugby practice to promote positive behaviour and gender equality, both on and off the rugby field,” Wong said.
“The program and the range of partners create a unique collaboration that assists Oceania Rugby to move beyond mere participation of girls and women, and address underlying values, attitudes and behaviours that underpin inequality and exclusion, to embed and drive policy and action that keeps women safe on and off the field, and promotes and celebrates all in our game.
“It is equipping and empowering both its male and female coaches to be able to deliver high-quality rugby, safer, more inclusive rugby and contribute to addressing gender inequality and its manifestations of violence against women, girls and boys in Fiji,” Wong said in Suva on Thursday.
“And through the leadership of GIR PLUS coaches, positive values and practices from the program, are beginning to be adopted in rugby communities beyond the program.”
She also added that these achievements within rugby are a direct result of ‘Development of the Women’s Game’ being called out as one of the highest priorities for World Rugby, Oceania Rugby and on member unions, as reflected in Strategic Plans.
She also thanked the main donors the Australian Government, European Union, New Zealand Government, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) and Fiji Rugby Union.