Inclusive rugby festival showcases national model for accessible sport.
Wallingford Rugby Club will host KatieFest 2026 on Saturday 25 April, welcoming young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) from across Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties for a festival that has become one of the most powerful examples of inclusive community sport in England.
Now in its third year, KatieFest has grown from a local initiative into a nationally recognised event, celebrated by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), UK Coaching, and BBC News, for demonstrating how rugby can be adapted to meet the needs of every participant. [englandrugby.com], [ukcoaching.org], [katiefest.org]
The festival brings together players with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, communication and sensory needs, and physical or coordination challenges, using noncontact tag rugby, flexible coaching, and a participantfirst approach.
“Rugby doesn’t have to look one way,” said John Peel, SEND Rugby Lead at Wallingford Rugby Club. “When you slow it down, remove contact and adapt how you coach, it opens the game to young people who’ve often been excluded from sport altogether.”
Across England, more than 1.7 million children — around one in five pupils — are identified as having special educational needs in schools, yet opportunities to take part in structured team sports remain limited, particularly in inclusive formats. Organisers say KatieFest exists to challenge that gap — and to show what’s possible when sport is built around the player, not the rulebook. [gov.uk]
From festival to movement
KatieFest is part of a wider SEND rugby network in Oxfordshire that has been recognised by the RFU as a national leader in inclusive rugby, including the creation of England’s first county SEND representative team. More than 150 young people now take part in SEND rugby sessions across the county each week.
That impact has been highlighted nationally by BBC News, which described SEND rugby at KatieFest as “incredibly friendly and inclusive” — a space where players who previously felt sidelined in sport find belonging, confidence and joy. [katiefest.org]
Alongside physical activity, the festival is rooted in rugby’s core values: teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship. Parents and coaches report improvements in confidence, communication, friendships and independence that extend far beyond the pitch — outcomes echoed in RFU community sport reporting.
A highlight of the day is the nowiconic Katie Peel Haka, bringing players, families and volunteers together in a moment that captures both the fun and the deep sense of community behind the festival. The haka has been performed on national stages, including the UK Coaching Awards, where it received a standing ovation. [ukcoaching.org]
“They’re not watching anymore — they’re part of it”
One Wallingford Wolves parent said: “For a long time, sport just wasn’t something our child felt part of. At Sunday training and at KatieFest, that changes. They’re not on the edge watching anymore — they’re right in it, with everyone else. The difference to their confidence, and to us as a family, is huge.”
KatieFest is run entirely by volunteers, with clubs working collaboratively across Oxfordshire and beyond. Organisers say the festival demonstrates what can happen when grassroots sport is trusted and supported to innovate.
John Peel added: “This has been built by volunteers and clubs working together. The opportunity now is for national bodies to back inclusive teams like ours — to help more young people with SEND access rugby, and maybe one day even play on the biggest stages. That’s the dream.”
