RUGBY – Bahrain Rugby Club (BRC) hosted a meeting for schools to launch a new rugby initiative to develop coaching and competition for all nationalities across the kingdom.
BRC chairman John Docherty explained: “BRC has been part of the sporting community in the kingdom since 1971, and for us this is about taking rugby beyond the boundaries of the club and giving more young people across Bahrain the opportunity to experience the game and understand the ethos of rugby.
Docherty
“Rugby has always been about much more than what happens on the pitch. The values of respect, discipline, teamwork, and commitment are a major part of our sport, and these are values we want to share with young people throughout the kingdom. Our meeting with the schools was a very positive first step.”
This is a joint initiative involving the Bahrain Rugby Football Association (BRFA) and Hartpury University.
“Hartpury brings considerable experience in both education and rugby development, and together with the BRFA and BRC, we have an opportunity to build something that is structured, inclusive, and, most importantly, sustainable,” added Docherty.
“This is not about a one-off event; the intention is to create a pathway that allows rugby to grow within Bahrain’s schools and ultimately develop more Bahraini players and coaches.
“The two-week training programme will follow World Rugby’s new T1 format; it is fun, inclusive, and non-contact, designed to help introduce and develop skills.
“Aimed initially at children aged 12 to 14 with no or limited experience of rugby, this is just the start of future initiatives. There is an additional belief that this will prove particularly popular amongst girls with various future pathways available.
“School children with rugby experience may have the opportunity to learn how to coach.”
BRFA chairman Jean Christoph Durand added: “With the valued support and expertise of Hartpury University, together with the commitment of BRC, this initiative represents an important step forward in creating new opportunities for young people to discover, enjoy, and develop through rugby.
“We would also like to extend our sincere and massive thanks to our valued sponsor, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, whose support will be instrumental in helping us bring rugby to more schools and communities across the kingdom.
“This is an exciting new chapter for rugby in Bahrain, and we look forward to working closely with all our partners to inspire the next generation of players and build a thriving grassroots rugby pathway.”
The programme has already attracted the interest of eight schools and will be held over a two-week period that is expected to feature more than 200 students. It will culminate with a festival at BRC that is expected to draw a large number of spectators.
Hartpury University and Hartpury College chief operating officer Mick Axtell stated: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), BRFA, and BRC to help achieve their long-term goals to develop rugby from increasing grassroots participation through to international excellence.
Axtell
“Building on the excellence of BRC, Hartpury is aiming to bring its expertise to help introduce a national competition while coaching a new generation of coaches within the schools to ensure a continued legacy that will ultimately help local and expatriate children enjoy this fantastic sport.
“Bahrain has the perfect blend of sporting aspirations and family and community values from which to launch our Middle East programmes that will allow Hartpury to ultimately showcase our expertise in agriculture, animal science, equine studies, sport, business, psychology, and veterinary nursing.”
Docherty added: “We are extremely grateful for the continued support of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Faris Al Kooheji.
“Their support for sport and youth development in the kingdom has been instrumental in allowing initiatives such as this to move forward.
“There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but following the response from the schools this week, and with the support of the BOC and collaboration of all partners, I am very encouraged by what we can achieve together.”
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