Growing Rugby Across Surrey
Building on the success of the 2025 Elementary School Rugby Program, Bayside Sharks Rugby once again partnered with Move for Life, Advantage Rugby and the Surrey Beavers rugby in May and June 2026 to bring rugby directly into Surrey elementary schools.
The program grew significantly in its second year, expanding from eight schools in 2025 to 14 Surrey elementary schools in 2026. This growth represents an important step toward Bayside’s goal of making rugby accessible to children throughout Surrey and creating stronger connections between local schools, families, and community rugby.
Program Overview
The six-week program ran from May 6 to June 10, 2026 and was designed for students in Grades 5–7.
Sessions introduced students to rugby in a safe, positive, and engaging environment. The program was completely non-contact, allowing students to learn and enjoy the fundamentals of rugby regardless of their previous sporting or rugby experience.
The program focused on four key areas:
- Fitness and movement – developing agility, coordination, balance, and general physical literacy.
- Rugby skills – introducing passing, catching, running with the ball, evasion, and support play.
- Teamwork – encouraging communication, cooperation, and working together.
- Confidence and game understanding – giving students opportunities to make decisions, solve problems, and experience rugby through small-sided games.
Safety and enjoyment remained central throughout the program. There was no tackling or contact, and sessions emphasized proper footwear, stretching, positive coaching, and fun evasive games.
Expanding Our Reach
The growth from 10 schools in 2025 to 14 schools in 2026 was one of the most encouraging outcomes of this year’s program.
Rather than expecting children to find rugby on their own, the Elementary School Program brings rugby directly to them. Students can experience the sport alongside their classmates in a familiar school environment, removing many of the barriers that can prevent children from trying a new sport.
Expanding into 14 Surrey schools also allowed Bayside and Advantage Rugby to introduce the game to students from a broader range of neighbourhoods and backgrounds.
This approach supports Bayside’s long-term objective of making rugby available throughout Surrey and ensuring that every child has an opportunity to experience the sport close to home.
More Than Rugby Skills
While introducing rugby is the foundation of the program, its impact extends beyond learning how to pass or run with a rugby ball.
Rugby provides an excellent environment for developing teamwork, communication, confidence, respect, resilience, and decision-making. The sessions encouraged students to participate, support their classmates, try unfamiliar skills, and learn through games.
For many students, the program represented their first experience with rugby.
Creating a positive first experience is therefore critical. By keeping sessions inclusive, active, non-contact, and fun, the program demonstrated that rugby can be enjoyed by children with different athletic abilities and sporting backgrounds.
Building a Pathway Into Community Rugby
The Elementary School Program is also an important part of Bayside’s wider player-development pathway.
Introducing rugby through schools creates a natural connection between school participation and community rugby. Students who enjoy their experience have an opportunity to continue developing through Bayside’s Mini and Junior Rugby programs.
The objective is not simply to recruit players immediately. The larger goal is to create awareness and familiarity with rugby so that children and families understand that there is a welcoming local rugby community available to them.
As the school program continues to grow, these connections can help establish rugby in more Surrey neighbourhoods and strengthen the sport at the grassroots level.
Looking Ahead
The success and growth of the 2026 Elementary School Rugby Program demonstrate the potential of school-based rugby development in Surrey.
Bayside’s long-term ambition is to continue expanding access to rugby across the city, developing relationships with additional schools and creating opportunities for children in every Surrey neighbourhood to experience the game.
Continued collaboration between Bayside Sharks Rugby, Advantage Rugby, Move for Life, Surrey Beavers rugby, Surrey schools, teachers, coaches, volunteers, community partners, and sponsors will be essential to achieving that goal.
Most importantly, the program continues to give Surrey children the opportunity to discover rugby in the best possible way — with their classmates, in their own community, in a safe environment, and while having fun.
