Stafford RUFC Mixed Ability Rugby

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS 🖤💛

A quick update ahead of tonights special charity match in memory of Madi Foster.

🏉 Stafford Women v Leek Women
📅 Friday 21st August
⏰ 7:30PM KO
📍 Stafford Rugby Club

We’d love to see as many of you as possible down at the club to support our women as they take to the pitch in Madi’s memory. 🩷

Please donate what you can to Katherine House Hospice and help us come together as a rugby family to remember and celebrate Madi.

🔗Link to support Katherine House can be found in our Bio 🩷

Once a Stafford girl, always a Stafford girl. 🖤💛

A fantastic achievement for Stafford RUFC Mixed Ability Rugby, the Stafford Marvels, who have finished second in the 2025/26 Ability Rugby International Championship.
The Championship brought together 238 Mixed Ability groups, clubs and teams, involving players with and without disabilities, with Stafford finishing behind the Llanelli Warriors
Mixed Ability Rugby is built around a simple principle: if you want to play rugby, there should be a place for you in the game.
Players with and without disabilities play alongside one another as equal members of the team – giving some the opportunity to play rugby they might never have thought possible, and others a different way to stay in the game longer.
The success at Stafford continues to grow, with the Stafford Marbelles Women’s Mixed Ability team starting last season and playing one of their early fixtures against the newly formed Vixens Ladies.
Congratulations to everyone involved at Stafford Rugby.

Could your club be the next to start a Mixed Ability team?

MORE WAYS TO PLAY. MORE PEOPLE PLAYING RUGBY

The Ability Rugby International Championship results for the 2025/26 season are in!

We are so proud to share that our Marvels mens side reached second in the world .... SECOND. IN. THE. WORLD. 🏆🎉

Our Marbelles women's side also enter the table for the first time after a strong first season.

This is such a proud day for both sides, and just shows how far we have come, and the impact of mixed ability at our club and each an every club on the list.

Thanks also to all at IMAS and Ability Rugby International for compiling the league through the season.

Next up .... 26/27 .... It's on Llanelli Warriors 🤣💪

🔗 Full report and table in the link below

https://www.mixedabilitysports.org/2025-26-ari-championship-results/

🏉 2026/27 SENIOR MEN’S MARVELS LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🏉

Matt Smith will join the Marvels coaching team for the 26/27 season.

Matt joins the coaching ticket as a club legend, having played for the club for many years at a high level as well as currently serving as a club Director.

Matt has more recently served as Marvels captain and fly-half, although an untimely injury last season had led to Matt transitioning his unwavering support into a coaching role.

Matt joins a coaching team that is growing with the Marvels side, and we are looking forward to where Matt’s coaching will take us, especially with our backs and player skills. 💛🖤

🏉 2026/27 SENIOR MEN’S MARVELS LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🏉

We are proud to announce that James Van Nijkerk will continue as Head Coach of Stafford Marvels Mixed Ability for the 27/28 season, his second season in the role.

James has a long history of coaching and off field roles at Stafford, and we are lucky to have him continue with the side.

James oversaw our busiest season of Mixed Ability rugby in 25/26, coaching a large side into the top three in the world rankings.

During his time as Head Coach the Marvels have gone from strength to strength both on and off the field. 26/27 again looks set to be the busiest year yet for our Marvels, and we are delighted that James will lead us into the season.💛🖤

🏉 2026/27 SENIOR MEN’S MARVELS LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🏉

Tom Hall will be returning to Captain the Marvels for his first full season in the Captain’s jersey. Tom first captained the side midway through the 25/26 season, stepping into the role following the mid-season retirement of our then captains.

From that first game in Longlevens, and in fact since he joined the Marvels, he has led from the front and by example .. Tom is the perfect choice to continue to lead us forward into his first full season in the role.

On the field Tom is a tenacious back row forward, operating with the level of respect for his own body that you would expect for that position. He has even been known to make the odd cameo in the backs, even delivering the odd passable kick.

We look forward to a season with Tom leading from the front!💛🖤

Fantastic training session last night under the Staffordshire Sun!☀️

Great turnout and solid effort from everyone as we gear up for the start of the season.

Stafford Rugby Club

Stafford Mixed Ability Rugby Training Tonight 7pm onwards at Stafford Rugby Club!

All ages, both men & women and all abilities welcome!

💛🖤🪽