Community Impact Report Season 23/24

The Welsh Rugby Union Community Impact Report covers season 2023-24, with 59,661 registered players across Wales including a record 6,500 women and girls. Hub Officers delivered 39,012 young people engaged through 1,348 sessions and 318 events; 7,623 sessions supported young people with additional learning needs; 6,500 children participated in Fit Fed Fun holiday hunger camps; 7,999 participants engaged in wheelchair rugby; and over £2m in grant funding was secured for club facilities. The apprenticeship programme engaged 39,012 young people.

Report snapshot
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📋About

Hub Officer Programme (95 establishments; school, club and community delivery); Girls Hubs (40 hubs, 4,800 girls aged 6-18); Walking Rugby (31 teams); Wheelchair Rugby (5 teams); Mixed Ability Rugby (11 teams); Fit Fed Fun holiday camps; Emerging Player Programme (U15/U16); coaching and referee courses; Club Self-Assessment Tool; Dysgu WRU online learning platform; Esports Cymru Leagues; WRU Digital Classroom (WJEC Skills Challenge); safeguarding and anti-doping education; apprenticeship programme

📊Key Metrics

59,661 registered players in Wales (52,779 male; 6,882 female); record 6,500 women and girls actively registered — target 10,000 by 2029 Key Metric 1
39,012 young people engaged by Hub Programme across 1,348 sessions and 318 events; 7,623 sessions and events for young people with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Key Metric 2
7,999 participants engaged in wheelchair rugby; 6,500 children in Fit Fed Fun holiday hunger camps; £2m+ grant funding secured for club facilities Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • Nation of Sanctuary Contribution to Sport Award 2024 won for work with Welsh Refugee Council; 88% of senior and youth matches played without incident; 96% club safeguarding officer compliance; 650+ children and adults at WRU Inclusion Day
  • 5 new women's teams formed through New Team Process; 955 girls transferred to Girls Hubs from schools; 200 women 'new to rugby' in senior game; 2,354 boys transferred to clubs
  • First year of U15 skills centres engaged 1,700+ players across 30 playing opportunities; 13 clubs admitted to National Leagues as 2nd XV clubs; WRU apprenticeship programme graduates receive unconditional Cardiff Met University offers; 570 volunteers attended Dysgu WRU live webinars

📍Geography

Wales

2025 Enhanced

Impact Report 2024/25

18,500 people engaged in 2024-25; 10,829 hours of coaching delivered; 13,880 school and college participants
Key Metric 1
83% of HITZ participants progressed into education, employment or training; 6,950 women and girls introduced to rugby; 15% of participants had a disability or learning needs
Key Metric 2
3,000 young lives impacted through Tackling Insights STEM programme; 700+ hot nutritious meals provided to children in school holidays; 2,750 match day participants
Key Metric 3
83% of Fit as a Bull participants incorporated physical exercise into daily routine; 79% saw increased confidence; combined weight loss of 129kg from 24/25 cohort; 37% increase in feeling inspired through Tackling Insights
2026 Enhanced

Becoming a Borough of Sport: Impact Report 2025

67.6% of Merton adults (117,000 people) now active — above London and England averages, representing 6,800 more active adults than previous years
Key Metric 1
£2.25 million in external funding secured since launch, representing a 4:1 multiplier on council investment
Key Metric 2
20,000+ residents reached across three Big Sports Day events; 50,000+ visits to Borough of Sport Activity Finder
Key Metric 3
48.6% of Merton children achieve 60+ minutes of daily activity — above both London and national averages — with the borough achieving the highest Active Lives survey response rate in London (37 schools, 2,500+ pupils), enabling a reliable baseline for tracking progress
2024 Enhanced

Sported Foundation Annual Report 2024

2,850 community sports organisations in membership network, collectively reaching over 500,000 young people
Key Metric 1
£1.6 million in grants distributed directly to community groups across the UK
Key Metric 2
96% of young people at Sported member groups are from historically under-served communities
Key Metric 3
82% of Sported member groups said the charity's support made a positive difference to their organisation, with 86% of leaders on a project or 1:1 consultancy reporting increased skills and knowledge in running their group