RFU Injured Players Foundation

The RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF), founded by the Rugby Football Union, is dedicated to providing lifelong support, information, and empowerment to rugby union players in England who suffer catastrophic spinal cord injuries or acute severe traumatic brain injuries during play or training, while also advancing injury prevention through research and education. Guided by values of compassion, respect, empowerment, and proactive welfare, the IPF adopts a tailored, needs-led case management approach to help injured players live independently, extending aid to families, friends, and affected clubs. Its distinctive ethos emphasizes crisis response, rehabilitation, and evidence-based safety improvements across grassroots to professional levels, reinvesting in the rugby community to ensure no one endures life-changing injuries.

The foundation funds individual welfare grants for rehabilitation, home adaptations, equipment, transport, education, emergency relief, and financial hardship related to qualifying rugby injuries within RFU-affiliated clubs or schools. It also supports non-catastrophic injuries causing distress (via clubs/schools), research collaborations on spinal injuries, and prevention programs like first aid kits and training resources for clubs.

Eligibility is strictly limited to RFU-governed rugby players (any age/level) injured in England; it does not accept unsolicited applications from charities or external organizations—support initiates via injury reports to RFU/IPF, with case workers triaging needs and a grants form for eligible individuals/clubs. Typical grants range up to £20,000, with larger exceptional awards post-assessment; applications are assessed on a rolling basis with no deadlines. Exclusions include non-rugby injuries, other sports, or general hardship; its uniqueness lies in embedded rugby expertise, lifelong case management, and dual focus on reactive care and proactive prevention, differentiating it from broader injury funders.