A RENOWNED Hereford college is breaking barriers through sport, with an impressive track record across the UK and Europe.
The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), Hereford, is known throughout the UK as a hub for visually impaired (VI) sport. The specialist college offers many sporting opportunities for blind people, from the Paralympic sports of goalball, judo and blind football, to cricket, tennis and futsal.
While many students at the RNC participate in sport outside of their academic courses, there is also the Sports Academy Programme, through which students can gain coaching qualifications or elite status in their sports.
The first popular sport at RNC was blind football, introduced to the college in 2008 and played with four blindfolded players per side, with a ball that rattles.
The RNC’s success is in part due to regular training hours, while its facilities are unparalleled in the UK. This is in addition to their high-level coaches, including Adam Bendall, formerly of Hereford United and current coach of the RNC and England blind football teams.
According to Mr Bendall, at least half of league blind football athletes have come from RNC. He says that RNC “breaks barriers” to make sport accessible for blind people. This is shown through his teams’ achievements in both domestic and European leagues, such as a recent victory in the three-team tournament of the national league.
RNC has also qualified for the Disability Cup this year, held in St George’s Park by the FA. The team has won this tournament three out of the last four years.
The England team, formed largely of current and ex-RNC students, won the European Blind Football League in April.
RNC student Łucja Wyrwantowicz has played Blind Football since it was introduced to her at the college. Miss Wyrwantowicz will play for the England women’s team in the World Grand Prix this October, in Argentina, and hopes to take part in the Premier League next year.
She describes blind football as “more than a hobby” and wishes to reach further in it, by playing in the 2028 Paralympics. This would not have been possible without the RNC, as Miss Wyrwantowicz and many other VI people are unable to participate in mainstream sports environments.
Hereford has also been leading the way in goalball – a sport exclusively for VI people. Players shoot a ball across the court at their opponents’ goal, while the opposition block the ball with their bodies before launching it back. Every player is blindfolded and tracks the ball by hearing the bells inside it.
On 20th April, RNC secured first place in the 2024 season for the Midlands region.
The Hereford team also took the win out of 16 teams in the Intermediate Finals in Sheffield, adding to their consistent goalball triumphs in previous years.
Aaron Ford has been instrumental in the development of sport at RNC, from teaching goalball to one student, to coaching elite athletes. He claims that “RNC is one of, if not the most progressive clubs within the country, not just in goalball, but within other sports as well.”
This is shown through RNC offering bespoke sessions for both elite goalball players and those who wish to enjoy a fully accessible sport for just one hour a week.
Several ex-students have founded goalball clubs, despite not participating in sport before attending RNC. Mr. Ford claims, “Without RNC and the academy, the growth of the sport nationwide wouldn’t be as big.”
RNC students can also involve themselves in sports through the college’s massage courses, which aims to prepare students for self-employment. This teaches skills in a range of disciplines, including holistic massage, aromatherapy, and sports massage. The latter engages students with sport, regardless of physical ability or interest in competing. For instance, some students go on to massage sports teams such as rugby or running – non-VI sports which they could not be introduced to otherwise.
RNC Massage Instructor Jim Wallis emphasises the importance of sports to escape the “VI bubble”. He says that sport is a common ground amongst many people and has significant mental health benefits.
Mr. Wallis runs occasional trips for his students to help at sporting events, such as the recent London Marathon and the Hereford Run. Massage students provided post-event massages to runners, allowing them to make an impact within a sporting environment.
This shows how RNC is determined to make sport inclusive from every angle, and really exemplifies Hereford as a base of sporting achievement.
For VI people who felt like afterthoughts in PE at school, the opportunity to play on a level field is a hugely empowering experience. RNC gives VI people transferable skills and confidence through sport, leading to a myriad of opportunities that would not be available without the college.
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