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Get into Rugby PLUS is a flagship Sport for Development programme that embeds life skills learning with rugby union to promote positive behaviour, gender equality, and prevent violence against women, girls and boys.

Get into Rugby PLUS is jointly developed and implemented by Oceania Rugby, Fiji Rugby Union, Samoa Rugby Union, UN Women and ChildFund Rugby.

Get into Rugby PLUS is co-funded by the Australian Government’s Team Up initiative through its partnership with Rugby Australia and Oceania Rugby; by UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership), funded primarily by the European Union, and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women; and ChildFund Rugby.

Building on World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby initiative, and Fiji and Samoa’s favourite sport, girls and boys in the programme benefit from involvement in fun, progressive team activities led by trained coaches who model the values of inclusion and diversity, and create safe playing environments.

Integrated life skills learning components engage players in processes of critical thinking and reflection around issues of respectful relationships, gender stereotypes and violence to build the knowledge, confidence and resilience. The curriculum uses rugby’s values of integrity, solidarity, respect, discipline and passion as its foundation.

Get into Rugby PLUS commits to 50% male and female Coaches and Players as a strategy to challenge and normalise females in both leadership roles and as players in the sport.

Developed specifically for communities within the Pacific region, the curriculum has been adapted from ChildFund Rugby’s award-winning Sport for Development programme, Pass It Back.

Get into Rugby PLUS Fiji commenced in 2018 with 20 coaches reaching over 300 girls and boys. In 2020, over 500 players benefitted under the leadership of 32 trained coaches. The programme continues to expand and strengthen.

The programme is making a positive impact on both players and its coaches. Monitoring shows that girls and boys are proactively promoting gender equality and reducing the use of violence in their lives, they now have greater knowledge and support to identify, reduce and report harassment and violence. Many coaches assert the transformative influence the programme has had upon them, and have become proactive change agents for gender equality and ending violence.

Get into Rugby PLUS Samoa commenced in 2021 with 20 coaches working with 12-16 year old secondary school boys and girls.