Modified Rugby Program (MRP)

What is the MRP?

The MRP brings families and communities of neurodiverse young people together.  Families that, would not have the chance to participate in team sport.  This participation in sporting clubs allows families with disability to be included in the normal experiences that are accessible to everyone else.

GingerCloud Foundation’s Modified Rugby Program (MRP) is a specifically designed community and social participation activity for neurodiverse young people, with Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD and other learning and perceptual disabilities. Find your nearest MRP Club, click here!

MRP registrations are open January 5th until May 1st, please email gcsupport@gingercloud.org for more information.

Rules, Modifications and Divisions

Rules: The MRP has a specifically modified version of the laws of rugby and has been approved by Rugby Australia (RA) in 2017.

Modifications: The modifications to MRP are person-centric and are continually being developed and improved by the multidisciplinary allied health team, to ensure our MRP Player (neurodiverse young people) experience success and fun.

Divisions: The MRP has 4 divisions where MRP Players can experience success. There are the Juniors, Colts, 7's and 7's+.  

MRP History

For many years, GingerCloud Foundation’s co-founders Megan and Anthony Elliott hoped that one day their son Max, who has Autism and complex language disability, may be able to play a team sport, at their local rugby club.

However, given the complexity of his cognitive disability they realised many elements of junior rugby would need to be modified for this to happen. During this time, Max was doing a small group rugby skills training course with another friend with a learning and perceptual disability coached by professional rugby player Dallan Murphy. In 2013 when Max was 10, he had developed enough basic skills to be able to play a simplified form of the game...