How Carrick RFC Is Giving Young People Somewhere to Belong |Fill Your Boots

At Carrick RFC in Maybole, Friday-night rugby is about far more than tries, tackles and results.

The South Ayrshire club is using the game to provide young people with a safe, welcoming place to spend their Friday evenings – helping to address isolation and antisocial behaviour while building confidence, friendships and a stronger connection with the local community.

It is a powerful example of what grassroots rugby clubs can achieve when they look beyond the traditional fixture list and consider what their community really needs.

A different choice on a Friday night

Carrick RFC Friday Night Diversionary Rugby project began around five years ago, following concerns about increasing antisocial behaviour and isolation among local young people.

The principle behind the programme is straightforward: give children and teenagers something positive, social and accessible to do at a time when they might otherwise be left without structured activities or support.

According to recent reporting by The Times, the free programme regularly attracts more than 80 young people, ranging from P6 pupils to those in S6. The 90-minute sessions continued throughout the summer holidays, demonstrating the importance they now hold for those attending.

Rugby provides the activity, but participation is not restricted to experienced players. Carrick describes the sessions as being open to young people of all abilities. That welcoming approach is vital: the objective is not simply to discover the club’s next first-team player, but to ensure that everyone feels able to take part.

Removing the barriers to participation

In a largely rural area, running a free session is only part of making it genuinely accessible.

Volunteer-operated minibuses reportedly collect participants from Girvan and villages around Maybole. This removes a significant practical barrier for families and gives young people from across the area an opportunity to attend.

The wider programme also extends beyond the pitch. Participants can access conversations and activities covering subjects including mental health, drugs and alcohol, while Carrick RFC’s “Chatty Space” offers somewhere for people to enjoy a hot drink and some company.

Together, these elements create something much bigger than a weekly coaching session. The club becomes a safe place where young people can be active, speak to trusted adults, meet others and feel part of a community.

That sense of belonging is one of grassroots rugby’s greatest strengths – but Carrick has turned it into a deliberate form of community support.

Developing people as well as players

The programme is led by rugby development officer Aiden Strachan, with volunteers helping to make the sessions and transport possible.

One of its most encouraging outcomes is the way former participants can progress into leadership roles themselves. The Times highlighted Daryl Conway, who attended the programme before becoming an assistant development officer and a role model for other young people.

That pathway matters. Community sport is often discussed in terms of participation numbers, but its longer-term impact can be seen when young people develop the confidence to coach, volunteer, organise and help the next group coming through.

The values associated with rugby – respect, teamwork, responsibility and looking after those around you – can be taught without making competitive performance the only measure of success.

A model other clubs can learn from

Not every rugby club will face the same local challenges, and a programme created for Maybole cannot simply be copied into every community unchanged.

The lesson is in the approach.

Carrick RFC identified a local need, considered the practical obstacles preventing young people from participating and used the club’s facilities, people and culture to create an appropriate response.

For another club, that response might be walking rugby, a free holiday programme, accessible sessions for disabled participants, a community meal, a warm space during winter or an informal evening for teenagers.

The starting point is listening to local people and recognising that the rugby club can serve its community on more than just a Saturday afternoon.

More than a rugby club

Grassroots clubs regularly describe themselves as being at the heart of their communities. Projects such as Carrick’s show what that can mean in practice.

By providing free activity, transport, trusted support and somewhere to belong, the club is helping young people make positive choices while introducing them to the values and friendships rugby can offer.

The success of the project is not best measured by the number of matches won. It can be found in the young people who return each week, the volunteers who make those evenings possible and the former participants who begin giving something back themselves.

That is community rugby at its very best. Find out more by visiting their website: https://www.carrickrugby.co.uk/