Ulster Rugby vs Leinster

SPECIAL NEEDS RUGBY

ULSTER SPECIAL NEEDS TAG RUGBY 2015/16

There’s an air of change about these days in special needs tag rugby

and all for the better!

Over the course of the 2015/16 season our

sport has continued to thrive and recognition of

its growth has spread throughout the island of

Ireland, leading to the formal incorporation and

development of branch groups (or Disability

Advisory Groups (DAGs) as they are known) into

the IRFU structure. For Ulster this incorporation has

meant that we are now able to promote and grow

the game with support from within the heart of Irish

rugby.

In Ulster, we continue to develop club teams and

players and with the recent welcome support of

DCAL in a targeted project promoting equality and

tackling social exclusion that ran between January

and March this year; 21 new club players were

recruited. The initiative saw 270 participants across

16 special educational needs schools taking part

in a series of fun training sessions and blitz days

within the Province.

The culmination and for many the highlight of

the season will be this year’s Wooden Spoon

International Tag Rugby Festival at Garryowen

RFC, Limerick on 11th June. It is a mark of growth

that this year, four strong club touring parties will

be travelling down to represent the Province in this

annual celebration of our sport. We wish them all,

good luck and hope that you all have fun!

We hope you enjoy tonight’s half time display by

four of the ten clubs currently playing within the

Province and we would encourage anyone who has

an interest in either playing or volunteering to get in

touch with your local club, the details of which are

all available through the Ulster Rugby website.

For more information visit

By Gary Donald

Ballymena Bears