Rugby is somewhat of a novelty here in India and it is not currently played at schools or colleges. Anna, who is an excellent Rugby player, was excited at the opportunity to introduce the sport to students at the International College for Girls in Jaipur. Our time here started with a warm welcome from the college staff and students followed by coaching and various demonstrations from Anna (assisted by Graham and Ben with Cathie as referee!) who quickly built up a great rapport with the players and provided some excellent coaching.
The students here at ICG were absolutely outstanding. They were enthusiastic, quick to learn, extremely intelligent, polite, courteous and a real credit to what is clearly an excellent educational institution. Quick to grasp the basic concepts of Rugby, after 30 minutes of practice, the students showed great competitive spirit and were excited to begin the match! The two games lasted approximately 15-20 minutes each and everyone played exceptionally well.
Keeping in mind that Republic Day is a public holiday in India and under normal circumstances schools are closed, their passion and willingness to learn made this a highly rewarding experience. Furthermore, it was great to see that the students gained so much enjoyment from a new sport and were enthused to continue playing in the future.
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| The team with staff and students at ICG, Jaipur |
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| Kick off with our referee! |
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| After the match |
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| Presentation of garlands |
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| Anna training the team |
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| The coach! |
Any chance of a rematch with the Pirates? What a wonderful introduction
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