With lashings of understanding, inclusivity and empathy, the Modified Rugby Program is a win for everyone who takes part.
Founded in Brisbane in 2014 by the not-for-profit GingerCloud Foundation Limited, the Modified Rugby Program (MRP) gives neurodiverse young people the chance to play a sport and their families the opportunity to be part of a sporting community.
It also allows coaches and player mentors the very privileged role of helping these young people have what many consider a normal experience - the joy of being part of a team.
For Year 12 boarder Will Brown, it is a cause that is close to his heart. Will is from Katherine in the Northern Territory - he thinks that the MRP is the greatest idea of all time.
Will’s sister has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2. He explains that it is a disease where your muscles grow weaker as you grow older. She was young when the diagnosis was made, around two years old.
Will said that his sister’s diagnosis changed everything, but sometimes not in the way you would expect.
“Like, a lot of people feel really sorry for kids with disabilities, but they’re actually some of the most upbeat people of all time.
“My sister, despite all the setbacks, just tries one hundred per cent at everything she does. The best way to treat a disabled person is to not think about disability at all and just treat them like a normal person.
“Joke around with them and just be normal because they’re normal people, too,” he said.
Will Brown said that while the players love being part of the sport, the Toowoomba Grammar School students who are part of the program gain more than they expect.
“It is just understanding, the understanding of what we don’t know… and we’ve all made friends with those little kids.
“I’ll tell you one of my experiences with this one little girl from the Bears Club that I coach. Her grandparents look after her; whenever I look over at the grandparents, they’re just constantly watching and smiling. They just feel so great. I was talking to the girl’s grandmother - she said she loves coming and will cancel everything just to see her little girl be happy.”
The MRP itself is described by GingerCloud as “a specifically designed community and social participation activity for neurodiverse young people, with Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD and other learning and perceptual disabilities.”
In 2017, Rugby Australia approved the MRP’s specifically modified version of the laws of rugby, with the modification that the program is person-centric. The multidisciplinary allied health team is continually developing and improving the program.
The aim is to ensure that MRP players (neurodiverse young people) experience success and fun. It also means their parents or caregivers can have the joy of being able to watch from the sidelines.
GingerCloud CEO, Mr Cameron Russell said that the growth of the MRP is on an upward but very slow trend, mirroring the challenges regular rugby union faces in competition with rugby league and football.
Mr Russell explains, “The magic of the MRP is that the parents aren’t involved. It’s the coaches and player mentors taking care of the children on the field. It’s inspirational but also gives a sense of normalcy for those families.”
He said the GingerCloud Foundation and the MRP’s long association with Toowoomba Grammar School has seen countless students become involved. He adds that thanks must be given to our School’s Deputy Headmaster, Mr John Anderson for enabling many MRP games to be played at halftime at some GPS matches and even during Grammar Downlands Day games, giving these students some incredible exposure.
Mr Russell said they are so grateful, “Our kids respond to euphoria and get a real high. It’s truly the highlight of their year when they get to play in front of a big crowd.”
With around 300 players in the whole program and over 150 volunteers, Toowoomba Grammar School has the honour of being one of the largest participating student cohorts. Mr Russell said he hopes that this involvement will continue well into the future.
“The bigger picture is that we’re showing the wider community that while these children are different, they deserve the opportunity to be part of everyday activities and especially to be able to experience the joy of sport and camaraderie.”
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