Twickenham Stadium welcomes Beyond Rugby

Twickenham Stadium will host Beyond Rugby on 24th July

The Rugby Football Union (RFU), Premiership Rugby and England Rugby's official kit supplier Canterbury will all lend their support to Beyond Rugby at Twickenham Stadium on 24th July and in doing so will take a leading stance on rugby's role as a force for positive social change.

Organised by leading sport for social change organisation Beyond Sport, the Beyond Rugby event will see leading figures from around the world of rugby union exploring the way that rugby and sport as a whole can serve as a force for good in local communities in addition to encouraging the sharing of idea and best practice with a key focus on producing tangible outcomes.

"We are looking forward to sharing our experiences and thoughts at Beyond Rugby"

The distinguished speaker list will include RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie, Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty and Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallagio.

"I am proud to be part of a governing body that puts community engagement and social responsibility at the heart of its work," said Ritchie. "The RFU has a rich history of engagement with our communities and we are members of a sport that has played a key role in transforming so many lives. New RFU developments such as our All Schools Plan, which will engage more secondary schools to play rugby, can have a huge impact. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences and thoughts at Beyond Rugby."

Dallagio, who this year cycled from Greece to London and in doing so raised over UK£2 million for charity, said, "Sport is incredibly powerful and brings people together in ways nothing else can, which plays a big part in the projects I choose for my foundation. Rugby has given me some of the happiest memories of my life, and initiatives like Beyond Rugby can ensure that that is true for many other young people in this country and across the globe."

Beyond Sport founder Nick Keller added, "Some of the most incredible projects we see are driven by rugby, which has a unique role to play in a number of areas, including engagement with disenfranchised youth, disassembling gangs and tackling crime. This cooperation is the start of a journey for rugby that will echo throughout the game’s global community."

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Beyond Rugby is being staged as part of the Beyond Sport Summit & Awards, a three-day collision of leading figures from sport, development, business, and politics being staged in London just days ahead of the Olympic Games.