The team representing the Dragons, is for anyone from the region who is either currently homeless or has been at some point in their lives. This project is a fantastic opportunity for the players involved to get stuck in and gain some focus as well as having some amazing experiences along the way.
Over the last few weeks, project Co-ordinator and Coach, Callum House has been visiting local shelters and residential homes all across the region looking to attract senior players to get involved to play here at Rodney Parade. There are players in the team that have gained caps for Wales Deaf and others that have never picked up a rugby ball.
The project needed six committed players to play against a homeless rugby team already formed at Worcester Warriors. We have managed to gain sixteen players that have been committed by attending weekly training sessions at Rodney Parade in preparation for todays’ match. The touch rugby match kicks off at 6pm on the training field before the Dragons play the Warriors in the Challenge Cup later that evening and who knows, we might even see them at half time!
The homeless project aims to support the homeless people of the region in all aspects of their lives. The community staff at the Dragons will be looking into potential opportunities for these new players, beyond the rugby pitch, which best suit their current needs. These outcomes could involve educational opportunities or help with personal problems that any of the players could have, including drug and alcohol addiction. We hope that by engaging them into rugby and showing them the values that comes with the game we can improve the lives and futures of everyone involved.
We would also like to thank Positive Futures of Sport Caerphilly for their ongoing support of this project. The support has allowed us to develop this project which we hope to grow in the future to include a youth homeless team.
