It was only supposed to last six weeks, but now some twenty years on from what was supposed to be a trial period, Sam McBurney has decided now is the right time to step away from coaching inclusive rugby.
Over the last two decades, McBurney has sacrificed countless hours to bring rugby to those who previously would never have had the opportunity to play the game they love.
In 2006 there were no clubs offering inclusive rugby but after reading an article based on inclusive rugby in England, McBurney set about setting up a rugby team for those with learning disabilities.
“A good friend and colleague Tim Craig, who was very much involved in the Special Olympics, had read the same article I had in Rugby World magazine,” said McBurney.
“Tim’s son Ryan has down syndrome and loved to watch rugby with his dad, and we just had this chat and said why don’t we try it?”
So, after a gathering of some like-minded people the Newforge Taggers were born in September 2006.
The early signs were promising with attendances regularly hitting the mid-teens. But a lot of parents were still had doubts.
“A lot of players and parents were very nervous. Tim and another colleague, Gareth, had contacts in a special needs school, and we put it out through their contacts and we got sixteen up.
“They were coming up to see it, and they soon realised that there was no danger here, so the numbers began to grow as the word spread. We then had families coming from Maghera, Portadown, Armagh.
“And then over those six weeks we ran it and we just kept it on.”
A turning point for the Taggers arrived when they were invited to play an exhibition game one night at half-time during an Ulster game.
Not only did it provide players with the experience of playing in front of a massive crowd at the home of Ulster Rugby, but it also created a ripple effect across the province with new club’s spring up all over the province.
The Portadown Panthers, the Ballymena Bears and the Ballyclare Hares were all formed and suddenly, Ulster’s inclusive rugby community was starting to grow.
And it’s a community that is still growing to this day with inclusive rugby now being offered in Donaghadee, Virginia, Banbridge, Enniskillen, Cavan and Monaghan.
After taking up the position of Club Community Rugby Officer at Malone, Sam was ready to dip his toes into new water with the formation of a mixed ability rugby team with the formation of the Malone Tornadoes.
While inclusive rugby is for players with learning disabilities, mixed ability rugby is open to everyone from the age of 18. It’s a 15-a-side game with full contact, although scrums are uncontested.
But what both codes do share are a wide range of benefits. From fitness and wellbeing, to being part of a team to helping your personal development and confidence, rugby offers something for everyone.
“Not only on the pitch, but off the pitch too, the Tornadoes have created a whole new environment for players. They have really come into the rugby family. As quite a few of the parents have said, it’s not just about the rugby.
“A lot of the mothers and fathers that bring the players on a Monday night to train they then go for walks. They have their own network and support group,” explained McBurney.
The Tornadoes have also played their part in the local community by taking part in a clean-up operation at Shaws Bridge as well as helping to arrange food hampers at Christmas time.
As McBurney prepares to ride off into the sunset, he believes that inclusive rugby is currently in its strongest ever position. It’s here that he singled out David McKay, the IRFU’s Disability and Inclusion Officer for praise for the work he has carried out ensuring that inclusive and mixed ability rugby will only continue to grow.
“If you were to ask me something that I can really appreciate, special needs rugby, tag rugby and mixed ability rugby are now accepted as normal rugby whereas 20 years ago it wasn’t even there.
“I remember David coming in and volunteering as a student with Ballymena Bears. He’s now the man who knows all the policies and what you need to do. For him to go full circle, to work with Ulster and then get the IRFU job, for me that is amazing.”