The VI Rugby Insight – Issue 6 – Building Beyond the Pitch

With Japan now just weeks away, September has been a slightly different month for VI Rugby. There haven’t been major tournaments or international fixtures to report, but both Northern Bees and Southern Spartans have been back on the training pitch, players have been keeping themselves sharp, our growing community has become increasingly active, and plans for what comes after Japan are beginning to take shape.

While the Blind Rugby World Championships are understandably the immediate focus, the bigger goal remains the same: building a sport and community that continues to grow long after the final whistle in Japan.

Back To Training

Both Southern Spartans and Northern Bees returned to training this month. With relatively little domestic competition left before Japan, the emphasis has been on keeping players active, maintaining sharpness and continuing to develop the fundamentals of the game.

For those travelling with England, every session is another opportunity to prepare before November. For everyone else, it’s about continuing to develop and building towards the next stage of the domestic game. Japan is a huge moment for VI Rugby, but club rugby remains the foundation underneath it. Strong clubs mean more opportunities to play, more new players entering the sport and, ultimately, greater competition for England places in the future.

More Than a Rugby Group

One of the most encouraging developments recently has actually been happening away from the pitch. Our VI Rugby WhatsApp community continues to grow, with dedicated spaces around strength & conditioning, mental health and general player discussion becoming increasingly active.

What started primarily as a way of organising rugby is becoming a genuine community. Players are sharing gym sessions, advice and experiences, while regular fitness and gym challenges have added a bit of friendly competition and encouraged more people to get involved.

For a player base spread across different parts of the country, that interaction matters. We might only physically come together at training sessions and tournaments, but the community doesn’t need to stop when everyone leaves the rugby club – and judging by some of the gym challenges, neither does the competitive element!

VI Rugby: The Questions People Usually Ask

Last month we asked what you’d like to know about VI Rugby. While we’re still waiting for you all to inundate us with questions, we thought we’d start with a few of the things we’re most commonly asked when introducing someone to the sport.

Do you have to be completely blind to play? No. VI Rugby is designed for people with different levels and types of visual impairment. Players’ usable vision can vary considerably, which is part of what makes communication and adaptation so important.

How do players know where the ball is? The VI Rugby ball contains internal bearings which create sound as it moves, helping players track its location alongside communication from teammates.

Is it actually competitive? Absolutely. VI Rugby is inclusive, but that doesn’t mean removing competition. Club matches are competitive, England places are contested and the international game is continuing to develop.

Can sighted people play? Sighted players can play an important role in training, demonstrations and helping clubs develop. Competitive VI Rugby is ultimately built around creating opportunities for visually impaired players.

Where is VI Rugby heading next? Internationally, England will shortly travel to Japan alongside Ireland and France to compete with the host nation. Domestically, we’re working on strengthening existing clubs, creating more opportunities to play and developing something completely new for 2027…

Which brings us nicely to Unseen Sevens.

Unseen Sevens Is Taking Shape

What started as an ambitious idea is beginning to look increasingly real. Positive conversations around venues and dates are starting to turn a pipe dream into genuine commitments, with work underway to create a new event platform for VI Rugby in 2027.

The ambition is bigger than simply adding another tournament to the calendar. We want Unseen Sevens to give VI Rugby an event identity of its own, combining competitive rugby with strong presentation, engaging content and an experience that players, supporters and partners genuinely want to be part of.

We’re now actively looking for sponsors and partners who want to help shape Unseen Sevens from the beginning. For the right organisations, this isn’t simply an opportunity to put a logo on an event; it’s a chance to get involved early and help us build a platform capable of taking VI Rugby to a much wider audience.

If that sounds like something your organisation should be part of, we’d love to start a conversation.

Player Spotlight – Joe Horwell Carroll

It hasn’t taken Joseph H Carroll very long to make an impression. Joe only discovered VI Rugby this year, arriving at an England trial and quickly demonstrating enough to earn selection for the touring squad heading to Japan just months later.

What has stood out just as much as his performances is how quickly he’s bought into the wider sport. Joe is now helping with content creation across VI Rugby’s social channels, using his skills away from the pitch to help tell the story of the game and reach new audiences.

VI Rugby isn’t his only form of rugby either. Joe also plays Try Tag Rugby (TTR) and recently represented the North East at national level, bringing experience from another fast-paced version of the game into VI Rugby.

From turning up to a trial at the start of the year to preparing to represent England in Japan before the year is out, it’s been quite an introduction to the sport – and hopefully only the beginning.

Sponsor Spotlight – Dripp. Apparel

Sometimes partnerships begin with carefully planned proposals and months of conversations. Sometimes they begin with a slightly chancy Instagram message. Thankfully, we sent this one!

That message introduced us to Lou Foster at Dripp. Apparel, who immediately bought into what VI Rugby was trying to achieve and has been incredibly supportive ever since. As part of that support, the England squad will proudly wear Dripp sub robes in Japan, something that should prove particularly useful around training and competition.

They were perhaps slightly less useful during the photoshoot! Getting a group of players into exceptionally warm sub robes during the June heatwave made for one of the quicker photoshoots we’ve ever organised.

From those first supportive messages to seeing Dripp become part of England’s Japan preparations, Lou has been fantastic to work with. We’re incredibly grateful for their belief in the sport and proud to have Dripp. joining us on the journey.

What’s Next – One Final Camp

October brings the final major checkpoint before Japan, with England travelling to Macclesfield for its final preparation camp just two weeks before the squad flies to Tokyo.

At this stage, the emphasis changes. The foundations have been built and now it’s about sharpening them. Planned warm-up fixtures will provide valuable competitive minutes, combinations will be tested, plays refined and the focus will increasingly turn towards ensuring players arrive in Japan physically and mentally ready to perform.

After months of planning, fundraising, training, partnerships and preparation, there isn’t much left between England and the Blind Rugby World Championships.

One final camp. Then Japan.

#SeeRugbyDifferently