Foundation
OUR INSPIRATION
About Matt
The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation was set up in response to the tragic death of police sergeant and rugby coach, Matt Ratana, in September 2020.
Like Matt, we believe passionately in the power of team sport to positively change futures. We are committed to delivering his legacy: making a positive difference through sports mentoring.
We aim to counter adversity and tackle inequality of opportunity, by enabling and developing supportive relationships and interpersonal skills through rugby.
Our projects directly benefit marginalised young people and their families from under-resourced backgrounds, by providing a consistent pathway uniting home, school, and community clubs.
Making a Difference
Our purpose
On the field and in the classroom, we offer multiple opportunities for meaningful and consistent connection and mentoring.
The potential benefits are extensive:
- Regular contact with an emotionally available adult builds resilience to cope with challenges and nurtures self-confidence and healthy emotional expression.
- Rugby offers ideal opportunities for supported conflict de-escalation. We embrace moments of challenge as opportunities for learning to inspire change.
- Our programme develops emotional awareness, empathy and communication skills – an appropriate level of responsibility for both our own and others' mental health and wellbeing, supporting healthy, safe communities.
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Get involved
You can make a difference to the lives of young people, by supporting our work, either through a donation or by getting involved