Over the past three years, thanks to incredible work done by Jimmy Orange and the team at Academy Movement, there are now five Victorian Government Schools with high quality, full time rugby academies. More schools are due to join the Academy Movement program in 2025. A meaningful competition between these schools is now possible and a great motivator for students and staff. 

But the cost of transporting players, coaches and staff safely to games is prohibitive, especially for schools already short on resources, struggling to fund their rugby academy programs. There will be no competition unless funding for buses can be found. 

Help us raise $35,000 to fund transport to games for every Academy Movement rugby school.

You can make this ground-breaking competition happen and bring all the wonderful, life changing moments that are part of rugby to a new generation of incredibly keen boys and girls. 

A generous supporter of this project has agreed, for the first $5000 raised, to match every $1 donated towards this project with $4, meaning your $100 donation will help raise $500 for this incredible cause.

Please give generously. Your donation is tax-deductible. 

About the Mana Shield

The purpose of Mana Shield is for Academy Movement Rugby Academy schools to create passion, rivalry, and build ‘mana’ now and into the future. It puts greater meaning into games between Academy Movement schools making them more than just a warm-up or friendly game. It also means additional games can be played throughout the school year at times that best suit the schools involved. There will be a Mana Shield for boys and for girls.

The word ‘mana’ is used in Māori and Polynesian languages, it encompasses the English words; prestige, strength, power, influence, pride and empowerment. As such it captures much of what is valued in rugby players at Academy Movement schools.