Training 14th july

It's so much more than rugby

We have been coming to rugby training with SouthSEND since March and when we arrive it takes my son a while to get the courage to join in. He feels like he doesn't fit in at school and is used to being left out. When I found out about TagFest I knew it was the perfect opportunity to help him feel like part of the team and I wasn't wrong, but what I wasn't aware of was how incredible an experience it would be. It was utterly heart warming to see not tens, but hundreds of children who might not otherwise get the opportunity to enjoy rugby come together in mutual acceptance, and harmony. For me as a parent, it was a breath of fresh air to be in the company of others who don't judge and understand the challenges that come with parenting a child with additional needs. Words can barely describe the feeling. What we have experienced this weekend was like a holiday for my soul and something I thought my son would never get the chance to do. That night (in the hotel room funded by the generosity of Wooden Spoon supporters) my son told me that he thinks he loves his life now. I'm glad it was dark because he didn't see my tears! We feel like we are part of something very special and this was all made possible thanks to the amazing efforts of the SouthSEND coaches, the coaches of all of the other participating teams, and Wooden Spoon, the childrens charity of rugby, who bought us all together to celebrate Tag rugby on a very sunny day.