A Sheffield charity says its inclusive walking rugby sessions are helping participants stay active, make new friends and strengthen connections with their community.
The Eagles Foundation, the charitable arm of Sheffield’s professional rugby league side Sheffield Eagles, set up the scheme in 2023 to help cope with social isolation.
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The group competes at Sheffield Hallam’s University Town Athletics Grounds and is open to men, women and all ages.
Richard King, 55, a long-time Eagles fan, said he joined the Eagles not for fitness but for the “huge mental health benefits”.
“For me, it’s the social aspect. My job is working from home, so this really helps me get out of the house,” he said.
The heritage adviser said the charity created an “inclusive” environment.
“A lot of people like me have never played rugby before,” he said.
“We have seven-year-olds here playing with seventy-seven-year-olds. It really has something for everyone. We spend most of our time here laughing.”
The group participated in a non-competitive tournament with other local walking rugby teams in Worth [Supplied]
King explained that the rules of walking rugby are not fundamentally different from “running rugby.”
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“It’s like a normal running rub, but at a walking pace. We’re still trying to score, but not against you, but tagging someone.”
Walking rugby is also considered to be lower impact and less physically demanding than regular games, making it suitable for older players and those with health conditions.
King admitted that one aspect of the game did cause some debate.
“There’s always an ongoing debate about the line between what’s running and what’s walking,” he laughs.
Tackles are not allowed in walking football, instead players attempt to tag opponents. [Supplied]
The Eagles Foundation initially launched the scheme with help from the Sheffield Olympic Heritage Park Heritage Fund and received top-up funding of £1,000 last year.
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Claire Fretwell, Operations Manager at Sheffield Olympic Heritage Park, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the launch and development of this fantastic walking rugby programme. People travel from all over South Yorkshire to take part and courses are open to all abilities and backgrounds.”
Andrea Dobson, development manager at the Eagles Foundation, helped run the early stages of walking rugby.
“It all started because we wanted to bring something to the old Eagles fans as well,” she said.
“It’s not as intense as other conferences and it’s not geared towards large numbers, but it does help with social inclusion.”
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