Celebrations all round as Bath Rugby Foundation set up their latest Mixed Ability Rugby Team partnership with none other than Chippenham RFC! Chippenham Cavaliers, a mixed ability rugby team for participants aged 16+ works as a fully inclusive space for all players who want to get involved with rugby. 

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How do I get involved?

Our sessions take place every Wednesday evening from 8pm-9pm at Chippenham RFC (SN14 0YZ).

Regardless of experience or skills, all participants 16+ are welcome to our inclusive space for new and returning players wanting to become part of their community.

To find out more, or to sign up, contact: [email protected]

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What are Chippenham Cavaliers saying?

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What is Mixed Ability Rugby?

Across the country the programme aims to engage thousands of participants per year (aged 14+ and 16+ for disabled people) and will be delivered by community staff from Premiership Rugby’s 14 shareholder clubs at over 200 locations across England, providing accessible opportunities for people to participate in the game at a time and place that can be easily accessed by target audiences.

Where does Bath Rugby Foundation come into this?

During the 2017-18 rugby season, Bath Rugby Foundation, together with a very special group of young people made history. The Walcot Warriors came together for the first time and became the South West’s first Mixed Ability Rugby team.

Walcot Warriors came together through the disability strand of Project Rugby, which seeks to introduce players from hard-to-reach sections of our society to the sport and to rugby clubs and the communities that exist around them. Project Rugby is funded by Premiership Rugby and The RFU.

Mixed ability rugby encourages social inclusion by mixing able bodied volunteers and coaches who act as facilitators to support players on the pitch. Mixed ability rugby is not about classifying levels of ability and separating participants into tier groups. As a Foundation we believe the focus of mixed ability rugby is to emphasis rugby as an inclusive sport for all players. The only difference with mixed ability rugby from everyday rugby is scrums are uncontested; this is the only rule change to the game of rugby.

During the team’s first season team members progressed from touch rugby sessions to full contact matches. Walcot Warriors played a number of fixtures both home and away, went on a mini tour to Coventry and some members have played at Twickenham and the Rec.

As with all other rugby clubs across the world Walcot Warriors have enjoyed experiences off as well as on the field, including bus trip singalongs and an emotional end of season Awards Evening.