Investec, the leading International financial services provider and title sponsor of the Investec Champions Cup, has strengthened its partnership with education inclusion charity, School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) by supporting its annual girls’ and boys’ Spring rugby tournaments. 

The tournaments held at Eton Manor RFC, East London on 27 and 28 March, saw nearly 300 young people from the charity’s school programmes take to the pitch, putting their rugby skills - and the confidence, resilience, and teamwork they've developed - into action over two days of matches.

 

SOHK’s special blend

Throughout the tournament, five players were recognised with Player of the Day and awarded sponsored prizes from Investec. The rewards recognise participants' performance against SOHK’s signature psychology-informed ‘5Cs’ framework with prizes for: 

1. Most Improved – overcoming their fear/barrier and growing in ‘Confidence.’ 
2. Positive communication (‘Communication’).
3. Best Sportsperson of the tournament (‘Control’). 
4. Player of the tournament – a player that consistently performed (‘Commitment’).   
5. Team player of the tournament (‘Cohesion’).

Many of the Year 8 and 9 students face challenges in their education, and benefit from SOHK’s unique approach, blending sport, 1:2:1 mentoring, and personal development to help them stay engaged in school with the ultimate aim of building brighter futures. 

Torran Macdougall, Director of Programmes at School of Hard Knocks said:

“This is the second time our young people have had the opportunity to compete in rugby fixtures, and it’s wonderful to see how their confidence has grown throughout the two tournaments. The courage it takes to step onto the pitch and take part in a full-contact rugby tournament is truly brilliant to witness. This experience allows them to see their hard work pay off while demonstrating the core values of rugby in action.”

Backed by the Best

   

England rugby legend and International athlete Shaunagh Brown, and SOHK Trustee and RFU President and SOHK Life President, Deborah Griffin were there to lend support and meet with participants against a backdrop of Investec’s iconic zebra!

Deborah Griffin said: “Playing rugby was the most fun I had in any sport. It is great to see the young players today show such confidence and resilience and get to experience the joy of playing rugby in a tournament. I hope they feel that they belong here and know they will always be welcome in a rugby environment.”

A partnership driving real impact

Through their three-year partnership, which began in 2024, Investec and SOHK are working together to support young people with career insights and development days; strategic business mentorship; and key incentive and rewards events such as the Spring tournament to keep pupils engaged and motivated.

SOHK works with over 1,000 pupils across 29 schools in England, Scotland, and Wales. It has plans to grow its reach in the next 5 years so it can double its support to young people by 2030.

Learn more about SOHK: www.schoolofhardknocks.org.uk

Find out more about Investec and the ICC:  https://www.investec.com/en_gb/sponsorships/rugby-champions-cup.html