We’re raising £4,000 to provide dedicated medical and strength and conditioning support to protect player welfare and create a safer, more professional environment for all members of UYRUFC. On top of this we will be looking to raise money to help fund more coaches, to help our current Director Max with the task of coaching UYRUFC.

Our Story

UYRUFC is one of the oldest sports clubs at the university, with a rich and diverse history. Most recently we gained promotion last year, as well as a comprehensive win at Roses. Last year, we received not only the most charitable club of the year, but also the coveted university sports club of the year award. However, success on the pitch has a notable impact off it for our players. Rugby is a contact sport that can drastically impact the body without the correct medical care. Player welfare is paramount, and we struggle to properly look after our players to prevent injury, but also if they do become injured. The presence of medical staff will help us to ensure our players are properly protected and looked after, hopefully preventing injuries and improving rehabilitation. With the university not being able to fund this care, the money from challenge week will make a massive difference!

We have recently formed a new partnership with York RUFC, further developing our players skillset and club links within the wider York community. We are also the highest performing student run university rugby club in the entire country. 

Challenge Week is extremely important to us as a club. Not only do we receive the chance to benefit financially, but also benefit as people through pushing ourselves beyond our limits towards a common goal. The week offers us an opportunity to showcase how far we have come as a rugby club in recent years, operating as a valued member of the university and york community. Donors will have the opportunity to not only help our club grow, but help the young men involved grow as people, preparing them for life beyond university, and the challenges that lay ahead.

Where will the money go?

As a club, the welfare of our members is our highest priority. In the absence of a dedicated medical team, we are committed to providing strong on- and off-pitch support to ensure player safety, wellbeing, and development. Our fundraising goal of £4,000 will allow us to establish a structured support network, including access to a physiotherapist and a strength and conditioning coach to improve injury prevention, recovery, and performance. Any additional funds raised will be reinvested into expanding our coaching team and further developing the club’s support structure to create a safer, more professional environment for all players.

Why is this so important?

As a contact sport, rugby carries inherent risks — and we believe every player deserves professional support to protect their long-term health. This funding will enable us to transform the level of support available to our members by building a structured welfare and development framework around the club. By investing in professional services such as physiotherapy and strength and conditioning support, we will create safer participation pathways, reduce injury risk, and improve long-term physical and mental wellbeing. Families want reassurance that their sons are properly protected while playing Rugby, a sport where welfare isn’t optional - it’s essential! 

The impact extends beyond performance. Enhanced support systems will lower barriers to entry by making rugby more accessible to students of varying experience levels and physical backgrounds, ensuring that participation is supported. 

This strengthens the club’s ability to retain members, grow participation, and foster a culture focused on wellbeing, development, and professionalism. While improved competitive performance is a natural outcome, the primary goal is to deliver lasting student impact by creating an environment where individuals feel supported, valued, and able to thrive both on and off the pitch.

The Challenges!

Below are some of the challenges we will complete as part of the week:

• Exhibition Game at York RUFC - we are hosting our last league game of the year under the lights at York RUFC. This will include performances from the York Hornets, half time challenges for spectators, a raffle and much much more! 
• UYRUFC Skills Challenge - We will be challenging multiple clubs to a skill based rugby challenge, such as UYWRUFC, York RUFC, our Alumni and even Bahrain Rugby Club. 
• York for York Challenge - while not only challenging ourselves in the physical sense, we will be challenging ourselves to go outside of our comfort zone off the pitch pushing ourselves to improve ourselves as people. Challenging our own personal growth as well as physical. This will include random acts of kindness, singing in public, painting our nails etc. All in the hope that these challenges help us grow as people, not just rugby players. This challenge creates an opportunity for our players to give back to the community around us while also growing as people

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Help us succeed!

We would love you to donate as much or as little as you are able and any donations are hugely appreciated. Your donation could also help us unlock fundraising challenges which will help us reach our goal even faster (you can see these on the challenges page). 

Alternatively, if you are unable to donate then please do spread the word by signing up as a Challenge Week ambassador for our club, and sharing our social media posts to your own socials so as many people as possible can read about our efforts!

UYRUFC are extremely grateful for all and any support throughout the week! Every donation directly contributes to creating a safer and more supportive environment for our players!