For many young Londoners, the summer holidays mean a welcome break from school. But six weeks without the structure, routine and community that term time provides can also leave some young people with fewer places to go and fewer opportunities to spend time with people they know and trust.
That’s why, while schools are closed, the Matt Ratana Rugby Academy remains open.
The Academy, run by our partner the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation (MRRF) at Croydon RFC, is part of the TackleLondon pathway. Young people who first encounter rugby through our school provision can continue into the Academy, giving them a consistent route from school-based sessions into community rugby.
Throughout the summer holidays, the Academy continues to run every Tuesday – providing a free, structured session that young people can attend throughout the break.
Importantly, the Academy isn’t about identifying particular pupils or deciding who “needs” to attend. It’s open to young people within its catchment, creating a welcoming community that anyone can be part of. Through that open approach, it reaches the young people who benefit most from having a safe, positive place to spend time over the summer, without asking them to identify themselves as needing support.
Why does that matter?
Not every young person has a home environment that provides the same sense of safety, stability or opportunity during the holidays. For some, home is a place of comfort and relief from the demands of school. For others, the long summer break can mean losing access to trusted adults, familiar routines, friends and positive activities for much of the week.
The answer isn’t to assume what life looks like for a young person outside school. It’s to make sure there are safe, welcoming alternatives available to everyone.
A weekly session at the Matt Ratana Rugby Academy can’t solve the wider challenges facing young people or their families. What it can do is provide something simple and valuable: somewhere to go, something positive to do, familiar coaches and other young people to spend time with, and a community that continues to exist when the school timetable has stopped.
And because the Academy is part of the wider TackleLondon pathway, those relationships can build over time. A young person might first meet a TackleLondon coach at school, then join a community session, take part in a tournament and eventually become part of a local rugby club. Each step creates another opportunity to build confidence, friendships and a sense of belonging.
The summer shouldn’t mean that those opportunities disappear.
Keeping the Matt Ratana Rugby Academy open means that, even while schools are closed, the door to rugby, community and a safe space remains open.
And that’s exactly what we want the TackleLondon pathway to provide: consistent places where young Londoners can turn up, be themselves, build relationships and feel part of something – all year round.
The Matt Ratana Rugby Academy is run by our partner, the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation (MRRF), at Croydon RFC, and forms part of the TackleLondon pathway.