The Rugby Academy at HMP Sudbury

In April, 3Pillars Project ran its rugby academy at HMP Sudbury; the programme includes mentoring, positive role models, personal development workshops and a qualification. 21 men took part. All of the men achieved this award, but more than that, morale, confidence and their outlook all seemed to improve as the weeks went by. This is the thoughts and feelings of one of these 21 men: 

“When I was two and a half years into my eight-year sentence, only one course I’d taken affected me in a positive way – that was until I came to HMP Sudbury. I saw a poster for a Leadership course advertised, it was run by 3Pillars Rugby Academy. I signed up for it and did get out of it what I expected. I learned how to coach sessions, I learned how to take feedback in order to improve my coaching and with the variety of mixed rugby lessons, I learned everything there was to know about the game. 

What blew my mind the most were all the things I didn’t expect to get from this course. 

Being a 51-year-old man in prison, you can become socially isolated and mentally shut out. I found myself sitting in my room, only leaving it for work and food, only talking to lads in passing when going to the loo or shower. This course has changed all that for me. It was run as a four-week course, running one day each week and each week, I’d find myself getting injured. Rule number one in the rugby academy is “don’t give up”, so I still gave 100%, spending all morning and afternoon running and sometimes limping up and down the field and because of my determination, I earned respect from the inmates and the instructors and was voted players’ player on the final day.  

I don’t think any of the lads, including myself, left the 3Pillars Project with what we expected. We found a respect for each other, a sense of camaraderie and dare I say it, friendship. After day 1, I didn’t see numbers, inmates or criminals, I saw people, people that gave 110%, people that supported, encouraged and pushed each other. We came together in such a way that I’ve only ever seen during my time in the army. 

I have met lads that I’d be proud to say on the outside “He’s my friend from the rugby academy I was in!” To be honest, I don’t think that the prison service expected us to grow as men in the way we did. Even now, the way we greet each other and the respect we have for each other blows my mind. Everywhere I go in the prison, I get acknowledged by the lads, that I would never normally have talked to. 

I fully recommend the 3Pillars Rugby Academy Leadership course as you get far more out of it than what it says on the tin.”