We believe in the power of sport to change children’s lives. ChildFund Rugby partners to deliver a range of an innovative and award-winning sport for development curricula, giving children and young people from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to play, learn and lead. Simon Whyte, chair of ChildFund Alliance, says:

“ChildFund Rugby helps young people practice the skills they need to keep safe in a rapidly changing environment and supports global efforts to achieve gender equality and end all forms of violence against children.”

Through integrated rugby and life skills learning, young people from vulnerable communities develop critical social and emotional skills that help them achieve personal goals, build empathy, manage emotions, develop positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This makes them better equipped to overcome challenges, inspire positive social change, and take active leadership roles within their communities.

ChildFund has been appointed as the Principal Charity for Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2021 and Rugby World Cup Sevens South Africa 2022.

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The ChildFund 'Pass It Back' Belfast Cup brought together girls from Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos with players from across Ulster to celebrate the power of sport and highlight how rugby is developing in Asia. #WRWC2017 #BringIt

Today, thousands of people worldwide are beside themselves with excitement at the kickoff of the world’s foremost soccer tournament. Here at ChildFund International we have something else to celebrate: We have teamed up with Coca-Cola, Walmart International and One World Play Project to #PassTheHappiness. Through this worldwide campaign, we will receive a share of 100,000 unpoppable soccer balls for teenagers in our programs.

As the voice behind the Coca-Cola Anthem for the 2018 World Cup, artist Jason Derulo joined Coca-Cola as spokesperson of the #PassTheHappiness campaign to help bring the power of play to underprivileged youth globally.

“This is a great opportunity to give back, not only to my home country of Haiti, but to teenagers around the world,” Jason Derulo says, juggling a One World FutbolTM at his home outside Los Angeles. “This ball is amazing.”

Soccer is widely regarded as an excellent way for kids to stay physically fit, build social skills and develop self-confidence. In several small Indian communities where ChildFund works, the world’s most popular sport has another, more surprising benefit: empowering girls to resist early marriage.

Meet 16-year-old Raniya. Her home state of Jharkhand, India, is rich in natural resources, known for its waterfalls and ornate Jain temples, but nearly 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Here, the rate at which girls marry before age 18 — which hovers around 47 percent nationwide — jumps to 51.8 percent.

The seventh leg of the Rugby World Cup 2019 Trophy Tour spent four days in the Philippines.

... the last event of the tour was a rugby clinic for 100 children at the Concepcion Elementary School in Marikina City. The activity was delivered by Rugby World Cup 2019 Worldwide Partner DHL in collaboration with the Philippine Rugby Football Union, Davao Durian Rugby Club and ChildFund, through their Pass it Back programme. The children enjoyed rugby-based sessions as well as learning important life skills centred around key rugby values of passion, solidarity, integrity, respect and discipline.

Kim Chi is a young girl from northern Vietnam. She plays for a team called Tomatoes, and rugby is her chosen sport.

But joining team Tomatoes wasn’t easy. First, Kim Chi had to get her parents’ approval: “They told me that I should stay home and help them with housework; that there is no use for a girl to play tag rugby, and that I should spend my free time doing my homework. They also thought I should not play sport because I got sick quite often.”

New York, NY, 4 September 2018 -- World Rugby and ChildFund have today launched a major international partnership to change children’s lives through the transformative power of sport, as part of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.

“We awarded the tournament to Japan because we knew that it could be a powerful game-changer for sporting and social change in Asia," said World Rugby Chief Executive Officer Brett Gosper. "As a transformational rugby for good program, ChildFund Pass It Back is the perfect embodiment of that objective and we are excited about the impact rugby can have for thousands of children within the world’s most populous and youthful continent.

“Rugby is a sport of character-building values and we have witnessed the solidarity of the rugby community in rallying behind Kamaishiand I am sure that fans purchasing tickets for Asia’s first Rugby World Cup will be generous in supporting rugby programs that will make a real and lasting difference to thousands of disadvantaged children.”