Participating teams at the World Rugby U20 Championship 2017 in Georgia have joined forces in the spirit of rugby to show their solidarity with the United Nations in support of its #HeForShe campaign aimed at tackling gender inequality in society.

Announced at a special signing event in Tbilisi on Saturday, this act of solidarity reaffirms the rugby family’s alignment with the core principles of the programme:

  • To assist the UN with its goal of building on the work of the women’s movement as equal partners, implementing a shared vision of gender equality that will benefit all of humanity
  • To promote the role of men and boys as social influences, affecting cultural change in attitudes towards women in society
  • To further gender equality and inclusion within sport, which is a powerful vehicle for change 

UN Women already has a strong partnership with the Georgia Rugby Union, and in Tbilisi the future stars of world rugby were present to support the important initiative which is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: "Sport has the power to bring people together to affect positive social change and we are proud that the World Rugby U20 Championship, a tournament that plays a major role in developing young careers, can play its part in supporting the UN."
 
The activities in Georgia echo World Rugby’s commitment to driving forward the profile, development and sustainability of the women’s game through an exciting and ambitious new vision based on the following pillars:

  • Increase participation through sustainable development
  • Build high performance through quality competition
  • Drive inspirational leadership and inclusive governance
  • Build an impactful profile, breaking down barriers
  • Grow audience and investment 

To learn more about the #HeForShe campaign, visit heforshe.org.