In Summer 2022, Rugby Ontario was awarded an Ontario Trillium Foundation – Resilient Communities Fund grant to reflect on and reimagine our systems for recruitment, retention, and program delivery with the goal of making rugby more welcoming, inclusive, and representative of our diverse communities. Specifically, the goal of the Build Belonging Project is to increase rugby participation amongst underrepresented and equity-deserving groups in Ontario through a community-driven approach to enhancing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility practices (IDEA) across the organization and throughout rugby clubs across the province.

The key project objectives are as follows:

1. Provide IDEA training and education to Rugby Ontario (RO) board members, employees, and club-nominated leaders (Phase 1)

2. Explore barriers to participation and retention among underrepresented groups and communities served by RO clubs (Phase 1)

3. Adapt or create rugby programming and recruitment practices to better meet the needs of communities (Phase 2)

4. Adapt operational policies and governance practices to eliminate barriers to participation and instill inclusive practices in our rugby community (phase 2)

5. Develop a “Rugby for All” marketing strategy, complete with ‘how-to’ guides/toolkits to support sustainable implementation of club-led community-based interventions (Phase 2/3)

6. Evaluate the utility of training and working groups in adapting RO practices and enhancing overall IDEA (Phase 3)