Sense Rugby and The Rugby Club Foundation

Sense Rugby is a Rugby-based occupational therapy program that enables children with developmental delays or mental health conditions to use Rugby as a form of therapy by linking local Rugby clubs with Occupational Therapists who specialise in enabling children to succeed socially, physically and emotionally. The Rugby Club Foundation was proud to provide Sense Rugby with a financial grant to support its introduction into regional areas.

The grant from the Foundation enabled Sense Rugby Co-Founders Jesse and Carlien Parahi to run a free Sense Rugby Clinic at Batemans Bay. The clinic was run at full capacity and it is wonderful to note that all the participating children will be continuing with the ongoing program.

The Batemans Bay Boars Rugby team in conjunction with the occupational therapy practice “Coast & Country OT” now have an ongoing year-round Sense Rugby program run through the school terms and will be aiming to integrate some of the children into the Batemans Bay Boars team during their 2020 season.

Sense Rugby enables families who otherwise may not have access to allied health services to access a full parent education program, regular occupational therapy and access to a supportive community within the rugby club. Participating families are now accessing the occupational therapy program, the parent education program and have been welcomed into the Rugby community with the help of the Batemans Bay Boars through regular post-training barbeques.

By Sharing the Spirit of the Game, the Sense Rugby program enables the children to have positive role models and supportive relationships with adults in the community, one of the key components of recovery from trauma which will be particularly therapeutic for the participants going forward.

The following quotes from the families and therapists involved in the Batemans Bay Clinic demonstrate the value and success of the program:

“In the past, my child has only gotten out of the car in two places in the community which was school and a particular shop in town. He now has a third place where he feels safe which is at rugby.”

“Many of the children who are attending the program have never had an opportunity to access Occupational Therapy due to the significant waitlists and lack of services in the area. They now have access to weekly therapy as well as access to sport on a weekly basis.”