Apologies for going OT, but I wanted to share this report of the rugby match I referred to in the other thread. It was written by a famous former member of the Pumas, the Argentine national rugby team, It serves as an example of why sports are so special Hope you will get something out of it....
A few days ago Julian Cohen suggested to play a rugby match between Virreyes Rugby Club (a club where all the players come from the local Favela, and the players need to go to show improvement as students to be allowed to be members) and London Hawaiians (made up of students from the London Business School, the pre-eminent global business school). When I brought forward the idea to the Virreyes board, Diego Claisse proposed to organize a three sided tournament inviting Espartanos Rugby Club. All the players of Espartanos are inmates at the UP48 of the Buenos Aires Province Penitentiary System, yes prisoners who had not played any rugby before.
I will try to be brief; I am moved.
We arrived on bus and cars. London Hawaiians were 25 players, Virreyes 10 and Espartanos 30. After passing through several doors, padlocks and locks we arrived at a 5 a side soccer pitch with no grass, that was the pitch. Espartanos were waiting for us making a road for the passing teams applauding and greeting each player with a heartfelt handshake or a hug.
The matches were 7 players per side, and 8 games were played from 3 to 6 PM.
TRy to imagine the pitch, peeled, to one side barbed wires followed by prison blocks and non members inmates watching the matches through the tiny barred cell windows, and to the other two lines of wire, followed by the high walls and watchtowers boxes with armed prison guards.
The matches were seriously contested, everything was left on the field. I was impressed by the Espartanos' attitude and delivery. Their tackles were real dives and they stopped the opposition despite the differences in weight and texture. They attacked running straight lines and having a great time. Not only the were strong in defense, their knew how to attack. There were some technical failures but everything was solved by their spiritual commitment. With loyalty and respect for the referee. They won and lost. That played as equals, that's not fair: they played better. Virreyes was not far behind, and when they were not playing they talked to everyone on the sidelines.
At the end of each game, applause and hugs - in true rugby spirit.
While playing, other inmates cooked an Asado, chorizos and bondiolas (donated by Cabana Argentina), that were served in sandwiches accompanied by Gatorade (which were also donated by Gatorade) when the matches had ended, every player or viewer mixed together and chatting. I do not want to make it long, but there were some unforgettable conversations: a young Espartanos player came and asked me whether he could join Virreyes when he finished doing his time within one year, he lives in San Fernando not far from our Club.
When we finished we were all formed a big circle. The London Hawaiians' Captain, said that he was South African, who had played rugby since he was kid and that he had not played a team with such dedication, passion and attitude as he saw on that Tournament we congratulated and thanked them for that, and for welcoming them and playing such a great rugby. London Hawaiians would never forget that day he added. Then handed all the shirts that the London team used to the captain of Espartanos.
It was the time for the Espartanos Captain: he welcomed the visit and said that rugby had changed their lives, made them better men, and that helped them recognize their past errors. There was simultaneous translation and cheers.
That pitch, all dirt, where dust clouds sight at every tackle, surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers stood, is very special. The Virreyes boys asked to play there again soon. I will not stain this lines with a phrase that refers to the freedom of spirit that is manifested there, I want to stay with just what I saw.
The ending was beautiful, all with farewell hugging. Being that paradoxical sight of seeing together young business school top students dedicated to the economy and business, with the Virreyes and Espartanos boys. What a fantastic picture of young people who are born in such different places and with many different opportunities there together sharing similar values. Anyway...
After the jubilee, reality. We all left the pitch through the same door. SOme of us turned to the right through doors, locks, padlocks to get to the parking lot and from there to the ¿civilization?. The Espartantos to the left, to the prision block...
Jorge Dartiguelongue
April 2015
A few days ago Julian Cohen suggested to play a rugby match between Virreyes Rugby Club (a club where all the players come from the local Favela, and the players need to go to show improvement as students to be allowed to be members) and London Hawaiians (made up of students from the London Business School, the pre-eminent global business school). When I brought forward the idea to the Virreyes board, Diego Claisse proposed to organize a three sided tournament inviting Espartanos Rugby Club. All the players of Espartanos are inmates at the UP48 of the Buenos Aires Province Penitentiary System, yes prisoners who had not played any rugby before.
I will try to be brief; I am moved.
We arrived on bus and cars. London Hawaiians were 25 players, Virreyes 10 and Espartanos 30. After passing through several doors, padlocks and locks we arrived at a 5 a side soccer pitch with no grass, that was the pitch. Espartanos were waiting for us making a road for the passing teams applauding and greeting each player with a heartfelt handshake or a hug.
The matches were 7 players per side, and 8 games were played from 3 to 6 PM.
TRy to imagine the pitch, peeled, to one side barbed wires followed by prison blocks and non members inmates watching the matches through the tiny barred cell windows, and to the other two lines of wire, followed by the high walls and watchtowers boxes with armed prison guards.
The matches were seriously contested, everything was left on the field. I was impressed by the Espartanos' attitude and delivery. Their tackles were real dives and they stopped the opposition despite the differences in weight and texture. They attacked running straight lines and having a great time. Not only the were strong in defense, their knew how to attack. There were some technical failures but everything was solved by their spiritual commitment. With loyalty and respect for the referee. They won and lost. That played as equals, that's not fair: they played better. Virreyes was not far behind, and when they were not playing they talked to everyone on the sidelines.
At the end of each game, applause and hugs - in true rugby spirit.
While playing, other inmates cooked an Asado, chorizos and bondiolas (donated by Cabana Argentina), that were served in sandwiches accompanied by Gatorade (which were also donated by Gatorade) when the matches had ended, every player or viewer mixed together and chatting. I do not want to make it long, but there were some unforgettable conversations: a young Espartanos player came and asked me whether he could join Virreyes when he finished doing his time within one year, he lives in San Fernando not far from our Club.
When we finished we were all formed a big circle. The London Hawaiians' Captain, said that he was South African, who had played rugby since he was kid and that he had not played a team with such dedication, passion and attitude as he saw on that Tournament we congratulated and thanked them for that, and for welcoming them and playing such a great rugby. London Hawaiians would never forget that day he added. Then handed all the shirts that the London team used to the captain of Espartanos.
It was the time for the Espartanos Captain: he welcomed the visit and said that rugby had changed their lives, made them better men, and that helped them recognize their past errors. There was simultaneous translation and cheers.
That pitch, all dirt, where dust clouds sight at every tackle, surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers stood, is very special. The Virreyes boys asked to play there again soon. I will not stain this lines with a phrase that refers to the freedom of spirit that is manifested there, I want to stay with just what I saw.
The ending was beautiful, all with farewell hugging. Being that paradoxical sight of seeing together young business school top students dedicated to the economy and business, with the Virreyes and Espartanos boys. What a fantastic picture of young people who are born in such different places and with many different opportunities there together sharing similar values. Anyway...
After the jubilee, reality. We all left the pitch through the same door. SOme of us turned to the right through doors, locks, padlocks to get to the parking lot and from there to the ¿civilization?. The Espartantos to the left, to the prision block...
Jorge Dartiguelongue
April 2015
