RUGBY'S MOST POWERFUL PLAYERS LINE-UP TO TACKLE SOCIAL CHANGE AT BEYOND RUGBY

Powered by BT, sponsored by Dell, Canterbury, Populous and The Telegraph and supported by Premiership Rugby, RFU and Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby , the third-ever Beyond Rugbywill take place in London whilst the country welcomes the world for the sport’s most famous tournament. Beyond Rugby will showcase an international line-up including World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper, Rugby World Cup winners Will Greenwood and Lawrence Dallaglio, former French International Serge Betsen and Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.

Taking place during the global Beyond Sport Summit, the one day event will be a platform for inspirational discussion and practical insight, addressing key issues around access to rugby, disability and safe spaces. The event will see heads of international brands, global experts, grassroot leaders, rugby clubs and league executives explore some of the great innovations that are being used through the power of rugby to tackle specific social issues.

Suzy Goodman, Head of Brand Partnerships, BT spoke of their involvement:  "At a time when rugby is capturing the attention of the world, BT is proud to be a partner of Beyond Rugby. We believe rugby can help to break down social barriers and impact communities in a positive way. BT is committed to harnessing people's passion for the game to help generate lasting social change."

Beyond Sport Founder Nick Keller commented: “Rugby is the fastest growing team sport in the US, with participation rates accelerating throughout the world. We must use this as an opportunity to promote rugby as a tool for engagement and connect with those who are disenfranchised. Rugby has a unique ability to challenge key social issues and this should be maximised in this time of unprecedented popularity.”

This will be the third edition of Beyond Rugby. The inaugural event was held during Beyond Sport Summit and Awards at Twickenham in 2012 and backed by the RFU, Premiership Rugby and sponsored by Canterbury. The second edition in 2013 was backed by USA Rugby as part of the Beyond Sport Summit and Awards in Philadelphia.

This year’s Beyond Rugby will be held on the first day of the Beyond Sport annual Summit & Awards taking place 19-21 October. Various events throughout the week will bring together the most powerful sport-led, social innovators and global leaders to address sport’s role in driving positive social change. The theme of this year’s Summit will be Beyond the Divide – looking at how sport can be used to address conflict and bridge religious, economic and social divides on a micro and macro scale.

The Beyond Sport Summit and Awards is supported by its global partners, Barclays, TIME and UNICEF.