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STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Wasps legend Lawrence pitches for partnership to conquer rugby’s Covid challenge
HAVING lifted the World Cup with England and clinched five Premiership titles and two European Cup victories at Wasps, Lawrence Dallaglio knows more than most about the rewards of teamwork and uniting with others to overcome adversity.
They are trusted tactics the former flank forward – famed for dishing out hard hits on the pitch – firmly believes must be adopted by those rugby-related charities looking to make a lasting impact off the field in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Faced with a shared rival in Covid-19, which has left many third sector organisations fighting for survival, the ex-England skipper has joined Wooden Spoon (page 13) in issuing a rallying call to the sport’s caring community to close ranks.
“The power of collaboration is long overdue and the need to come together is probably greater now than it has ever been,” the founder of Dallaglio RugbyWorks, which helps young people to achieve positive and productive futures through education, employment and training support, told Spoonews. “I think it is really important for charities like Wooden Spoon and RugbyWorks to collaborate. The rugby community has always been about teamwork and coming together and that is the best way to get through this tricky period.”
The Richmond resident, who set up his foundation after hanging up his boots and following the death of his mother from cancer in 2008, is no stranger to the children’s charity of rugby. Having served as president of Wooden Spoon Middlesex for ten years and seen first-hand how it improves young lives regionally and nationally, the World Cup winner is confident with the capabilities of RugbyWorks’ new teammate.
“Working alongside such an amazing charity means everyone wins,” the 48-year-old, who captained Wasps to European glory in 200607, added. “Our young people will receive the benefits of the partnership and hopefully then can learn from the charities’ shared skills and values and take them forward into their future lives. “What we as RugbyWorks have learned during the coronavirus pandemic is the requirement for collaboration – not just with our long-term partners but through developing new, exciting relationships, which will hopefully benefit even more young people.”
Creating further capacity to throw a shoulder of support behind those children and teenagers in need will help to tackle any additional demand caused by Covid-19, according to Lawrence, who was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2008.
Citing an increase in social isolation as a consequence of lockdowns and travel restrictions as a major concern, he added: “I don’t think we will honestly understand the impact of this time on the younger generation for another few years yet.
“They have missed a period of education unlike any generation since wartime. I don’t
want to sound too dramatic, but that is the reality. You are what you are exposed to and young people have lost out on many experiences over the last six months.”
Among the moments missed during the national lockdown were RugbyWorks’ coaching sessions, which – along with all sporting activity – were abruptly forced into hibernation in March.
The recent return to the training pitch – and opportunity for youngsters to exercise and release pent-up frustrations – has proved a welcome highlight of a trying year for the scheme, which was introduced to tackle startling statistics that show up to seven out of ten 14- to 17-year-olds who drop out of the education system end up in prison.
Welcoming back his pre-emptive strike against the prospect of young people going off the rails, Lawrence said: “The children we work with don’t have the unconditional love, belief system and parenting that I was lucky to grow up with and have had throughout my life.
“So it’s great that they can start to smile again and think positively about their futures. They have said to our mentors how glad they are to see our coaches and our people back in their lives. Hopefully we can now start to build on that and build those key life skills that will allow them to prosper.
“It is something I am very passionate about because rugby came into my life when I was young,” explained the 2016 inductee of the World Rugby Hall of Fame, who spent his entire playing career in Wasps colours. “I was definitely asking a lot of questions and was incredibly challenging as a teenager and found rugby helped me in a very positive way.
“That is the reason I set up RugbyWorks, which is all about working with a small number of people to have a profound impact on their lives.”
While those under Lawrence’s expert tutelage face a brighter future, the same can not be currently said for the sport in which he excelled.
At both elite and grass roots level, rugby is shrouded by dark clouds with supporters starved of live action and fears mounting
over a lost generation of young talent.
“The Covid crisis has shown that nobody is immune from being affected,” stressed the former British and Irish Lions star. “The RFU [Rugby Football Union] has gone from a position of breaking even to potentially recording millions of pounds of losses.
“The autumn internationals are going to be played in empty stadiums and if the Six Nations goes the same way then you are looking at £130 to £140 million in revenue down the hole.”
The father of three, who was capped 85 times for England and also has a Sevens World Cup winners’ medal to his name, continued: “At some point in this crisis we have got to make some brave decisions and we are talking about being sensible, nobody’s urging decisions to be made in haste.
“I don’t see any reason why stadiums can’t be made safe environments. Clearly to create a safe and secure environment you can’t have maximum capacity, so there will have to be some concessions to get people back through the turnstiles.”
And after months of gloom, Lawrence is acutely aware that he is not alone in yearning for the tonic of a visit to Twickenham, watching a park side or being sandwiched in a scrum.
“Rugby has a huge influence socially and economically in different communities throughout the country and at all levels,” he added. “There are thousands of kids all around the country that want rugby to return. I don’t think people can underestimate the impact that rugby has on people’s lives, whether it’s participation or supporting. Sport is all about emotion, it is about love, it is about hate, it is about everything in between.
“We are tribal as a human race and sport is a little bit like that; you pick sides, you pick teams and yet it unites everyone, and makes people smile.
“Often what we need in life is to have something to look forward to. We have targets and goals and certainly the Lions tour to South Africa would be fantastic if we are allowed to go out and be a part of that.
“In a country like South Africa, which has its own issues politically and economically, I think you can’t underestimate the impact that rugby, in particular the Lions playing the Springboks, can have on a whole nation.”
Whilst the television and radio pundit is relishing the prospect of lending an informed voice to live action overseas, his immediate focus is very much on home soil and skippering rugby’s charitable community into a successful new era.
“I know how generous the rugby community can be and it has proven itself during these troubled times and what I would say to any rugby fans out there, is we need your help,” he concluded.
“Like all charities, RugbyWorks’ fundraising was turned off overnight, but the problems young people face haven’t gone away.
“If we can use rugby as a vehicle to change people’s lives, then that is a fantastic thing to be able to do. Rugby has always found a way of coming together to work through its challenges and I am certain this can continue throughout the Covid crisis.”
