There was a moment, early on at our very first TackleLondon Matt Ratana Awards evening, when the whole room fell quiet. Floyd Steadman OBE – the first Black captain of Saracens – described being a child in care, and how it felt to be told he would amount to nothing. It’s exactly the kind of …
On the evening of Tuesday 19th May 2026, something special happened in South London. Young people aged 10 to 19, their families, teachers, and coaches gathered together to celebrate – not just rugby skills, but the values, character, and growth that sit at the heart of everything TackleLondon does. The 2026 Matt Ratana Rugby Awards …
Read more “Celebrating Achievement: The 2026 Matt Ratana Rugby Awards”
Across London’s classrooms and football pitches, thousands of children are quietly holding families together. TackleLondon has worked with 32 of them this year – but the scale of the challenge is far bigger than most people realise.
TackleLondon, Community Rugby and the Fight Against Knife Crime Knife Crime Awareness Week, 18–24 May 2026 This week is Knife Crime Awareness Week – the annual national campaign led by the Ben Kinsella Trust, running from 18 to 24 May 2026, that brings together communities, charities, schools and organisations across the country to take a …
Mental Health Awareness Week is a moment to pause. Not to have all the answers. Not to fix everything. But to ask the question we so rarely make time for: how are the young people around us actually doing? At TackleLondon, we are not therapists. We are not clinical professionals. What we are is consistent. …
Read more “Mental Health Awareness Week 2026: Why Consistency Is Our Mental Wellbeing Strategy”
A Kilimanjaro Climb in Honour of Sergeant Matt Ratana Fundraising for the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation In June 2025, three men will stand at the foot of Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest peak – and begin a climb in memory of a man who shaped all of their lives. For Eoin and Mark O’Donoghue, this will …
17 March 2026 – MRRF Rugby Academy There are evenings in grassroots sport that remind you exactly why it all matters. Tuesday 17 March was one of them. The MRRF Academy Girls Showcase brought together players from across the borough: Meridian, Oxted, Thomas More, Bullers Wood, Chislehurst School For Girls, and more, for a night …
MRRF U12 Academy plays its first ever competitive fixture On the evening of Tuesday 11 March, The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation U12 Academy – just ten sessions old – stepped out for its first ever competitive fixture. They faced APB Rugby in what would be a landmark moment for every player, coach and supporter present. …
Read more “U12 MRRF Academy’s First Game – A Tribute to Matt Salter and Matt Ratana”
On this International Women’s Day, TackleLondon is celebrating the women who give everything – on the pitch, in the classroom, and in communities across London – and what the world gains when we invest in them. This year’s International Women’s Day carries a theme that speaks directly to everything TackleLondon stands for: Give To Gain. It’s …
A Joint Statement from The Atlas Foundation & The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation February 2026 To our local clubs, schools and communities, We write to you today as the two founding partner organisations behind TackleLondon: The Atlas Foundation and The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation. It is with sadness that we acknowledge the closure and liquidation of star*scheme. We are truly …
Read more “Statement Following the Closure and Liquidation of star*scheme”