Derby Rugby Club are happy to announce that they have been accepted into the prestigious International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament (IMART) in June 2020 to be hosted in Cork. Mixed Ability Rugby involves both disabled and non-disabled players participating in full contact rugby in a fully inclusive format of the game. The tournament will see 24 teams from around the world competing for the 2 titles on offer, one for the tournament winner and the other for the coveted ‘Spirit of Rugby’ award. This is presented to the team that best embodies World Rugby’s core values, with a ‘Spirit Score’ earned for every fixture played.
IMART is to be spread over 5 days from June 8-12 and will include over 700 players and representatives from Mixed Ability squads as far afield as Argentina, Ecuador and New Zealand. Derby’s Mixed Ability team the ‘Bucks’ have been chosen as one of six English teams and will proudly represent both the club and NLD.
Derby Bucks’ Coach Mike Hawkes explained ‘This is a great opportunity for all of the guys involved in the team and a fitting reward for their hard work last season. We still have several spaces available that we’d love to fill in the 2019/20 season and it would be great to see some new faces down at training. IMART will give us the chance to test ourselves against international opposition for the first time and I can’t wait to see how we get on’.
Aside from the Bucks’ on-field activities they will also be looking to identify sponsors throughout the season to help cover core costs for the players in order to make the tournament as accessible as possible. The team’s playing kit is currently kindly sponsored by Derbyshire Freemasons but there will opportunities for other items of kit and equipment. If you would be interested in being associated with an international tournament that will receive international coverage please contact Mike Hawkes via mhawkes92@gmail.com or 07850421280.
Training for the Bucks takes place every Thursday from 6:30 – 7:30 with regular fixtures throughout the season. If you’d like to get involved as a player (must be male, 17+) feel free to come along or give Mike a call on the number above.
