The strong links between The Atlas Foundation, rugby, and the children and communities we support are embedded in our work, but it’s important to clarify the connections and ensure that our focus, as the global children’s charity of rugby, isn’t confused with organisations that operate only through the shared love of sport.
Our core aim and mission is to help the most disadvantaged children in the world, including those who have little or no access to clean water, education, or assistance, where extreme poverty means children have few prospects or opportunities to thrive, succeed and excel.
This is where rugby comes in; a sport built on teamwork, fair play, integrity, commitment and community – from the grassroots clubs where children form friendships that will last a lifetime, to the higher echelons of international rugby where champions and heroes are made.
Here, we share how rugby inspired and shaped The Atlas Foundation, along with the values, ethics and principles of sportsmanship that guide our work.
The Atlas Foundation’s Roots in Rugby: A Quick History
Our founder, Jason Leonard OBE, is a recognisable name in rugby and a bonafide sporting legend. While he may be committed to the Foundation, Jason continues to be a presence in the world of rugby, providing input around governance, and as Chairman of the British and Irish Lions for three years from 2019 until 2022.
Jason is also an inductee of the World Rugby Hall of Fame, having been awarded this recognition in 2014, the same year he first registered the Foundation.
Therein lies the link: a founder with a passion and affinity for the sport of rugby and first-hand knowledge of how tight-knit, highly supportive groups gather from diverse backgrounds to form a team in the true sense of the word, working together as one unit that is more than the sum of its parts.
Rugby is unique and loved globally. Players, coaches, supporters, and fans appreciate the grit and tenacity it takes to reach the higher leagues. Players at every level feel that the sportsmanship and teamwork that are required of them don’t only make them better teammates but better people who respect and value their colleagues and their opponents.
Sport has long been a way for people with different ethnicities, beliefs, values, and cultures to connect. It traverses every dividing factor, where on the pitch, in the stands, and in the locker room, it doesn’t matter what you are, but who you are—irrespective of your gender, religion, or ethnicity.
Understanding How the Ethos of Rugby is Embedded in The Atlas Foundation UK Charity
Jason brought a set of firmly held beliefs to his charity, looking for a way to use his experience, standing and celebrity to make a tangible difference in the lives of children coping with the most difficult of circumstances and environments imaginable.
In doing so, he wanted to carry forward the spirit of rugby, in offering uncompromising promises that support from the Foundation would be forever – not for the here and now.
Atlas may have achieved phenomenal outcomes, but it isn’t about short-term change, publicity, or newsworthy impacts. It is focused on providing actual support for children who need opportunity, education, health services, and empowerment.
The practicalities of Jason’s reputation have undoubtedly been instrumental in using personal and professional connections to vocalise the mission and bring on board other sporting champions and legends who have seized the chance to do something meaningful.
Trustees and advocates from around the global community of rugby have come together to see the part they can play, including representatives from a staggeringly broad range of partners, including:
- Ambassadors who are prestigious leaders in industry and diplomacy, corporate professionals and highly successful CEOs.
- Trustees including respected peers, NHS leaders, OBEs, and heads of organisations.
- Rugby champions, with past and present players for England and Wales, France, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Ireland, Kenya, the USA, Scotland, Samoa, India, Italy and Uruguay.
With the unwavering support and efficient management of our in-house team, managers, communications officers, and administrators, we have built a framework of incredible strength, combining talent, skill, knowledge, influence, and experience—all principles that reflect directly back into the work of the Foundation.
Clarifying the Difference Between a Rugby Charity and a Children’s Charity of Rugby
The significant contrast between a sporting charity and The Atlas Foundation is that we use the positions, voices, and advocacy of our partners, trustees, champions, and ambassadors to achieve our goals rather than providing charitable work only through rugby-based workshops and events.
Our rugby champions don’t just speak on behalf of the Foundation but play an active and vital role, telling us about communities, areas, and people who need support and advising us on how and where that work can be most meaningful.
It isn’t up to our fantastic team in the UK to dictate or direct our efforts. It is crucial that we rely on on-the-ground experiences, cultural awareness, charitable organisations, educational partners, and community-led schemes, which give us insights into the steps and actions we can take to make a real difference.
In a world that can often, and for too many children, feel like a dark and oppressive space, our job is straightforward: to support better health, better inclusion and better education, with key insights into the barriers children face today and breaking them down to reach a common goal.
We hope this concise guide illustrates why rugby is fundamental to The Atlas Foundation and explains the contrasts between a charity guided by the principles of sport and one that only provides support through sport. While we love initiatives and schemes that use rugby to show children what they are capable of, we also believe the agility and adaptability inherent within the sport apply.
We should do what we can, where it is most needed, in the best possible way, and continue moving towards the try line, where integrity, opportunity, and aspiration exist.
