Please see below an article written by Joshua Jones with regard to TryIt Rugby:
I am Joshua Jones, the founder of TRYIT Rugby, and I'm delighted to share the inspiring journey of our initiative. It all began when Leigh RUFC, my local rugby team and childhood club, approached me to lead school programs in the club's community .This endeavour uncovered a significant void in rugby exposure within primary schools, leading me to pioneer a solution.
The school sessions, despite being my first experience teaching in primary schools, were a profound success. This success highlighted a gap that TRYIT could fill, making a substantial impact throughout the community. In 2021, we officially became a business. However, our momentum faced a setback with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in February. Instead of dwelling on challenges, we utilized the lockdown period to enhance our social media presence, image, and initiate projects such as Podcasts, Webinars, and mentoring programs. These endeavours have enriched TRYIT, evolving it into a comprehensive platform offering a diverse range of coaching services. You can still access our webinars and podcasts, providing an insightful introduction to TRYIT's mission of growing rugby county-wide.
Receiving the green light from Lancashire RFU marked a significant milestone, enabling us to forge full partnerships and extend support to other Lancashire rugby clubs grappling with player decreases post-lockdown.
Our collaboration with Aspull RFU after the COVID pandemic yielded remarkable results. A testimonial from them highlighted our impact on recruitment and growth, demonstrating TRYIT's contribution …
“Recruitment has always been a struggle and for 3 years we remained quite stagnant only having 2 age groups and running out of ideas of how to recruit players into the club. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Josh from TRYIT rugby we discussed josh’s vision on how to help the club. True to his word he has delivered and continues to deliver he has become a valued member of our team with the advice he has given our coaches during training sessions and the sessions he puts on for our youngsters. we have continued to grow, the sessions TRY IT put on at local schools are invaluable to our club the number of kids we have seen turn up for training sessions at Aspull as a result of the school sessions TRY IT have facilitated has almost doubled. To put an exact number on the amount of kids he has brough to our club would be difficult but it is no coincidence that since TRYIT became involved we have seen a great improvement in recruitment.
We now have age groups from Under 6s all the way to U15”.
TRYIT has now established connections with most Lancashire rugby clubs, engaging in school programs and collaborative projects that align with our mission growing rugby in the county. Moving forward, we're proud to announce our partnership with IMAS (International Mixed Ability Sport), focusing on providing sessions for individuals with disabilities and integrating them into designated rugby clubs such as Bolton RUFC, Aldwinians RUFC, and Sedgley Park RUFC. The culmination of this effort will be our Mixed Ability Tournament on May 26, 2024, as part of our Leigh Festival showcasing all our sevens rugby we have to offer! Check out our social media for more information on this.
Additionally, TRYIT has joined forces with the rugby mental health charity "LooseHeadz." We contribute coaches to their men's and ladies' babas teams, participating in matches across the north to promote their cause to #tacklethestigma.
In just a few short years, TRYIT has delivered programs for over 3000 children across primary and secondary schools. With our flourishing partnership with Lancashire RFU, we eagerly anticipate the continued growth of these numbers, aiding every rugby club in the county.
For those interested in exploring what TRYIT can offer your club, please reach out to us at 07913206205 or through our social media handles. Alternatively, you can email us at tryitrugby@hotmail.com.
Warm regards,
Joshua Jones
Founder, TRYIT Rugby