Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) in association with Sports & Youth Services Department (DSYS), Government of Odisha, and Odisha Rugby Football Association (ORFA) has started a training and education program with an aim to empower participants to deliver on rugby grassroots development activities across Odisha.

According to a DSYS press release today, the programme, named as Rugby Train the Trainers, was launched last week. Through this initiative, Rugby India in association with ORFA aims to reach out to large numbers of physical education teachers from government and private educational institutions across the State over the next three years.

The Rugby Train the Trainers program course module includes a combination of virtual and physical classrooms and will be delivered to physical education teachers from primary, secondary and higher secondary schools that are affiliated by the Department of School & Mass Education, Govt of Odisha, as well as physical education teachers from Ashram Schools, affiliated to ST SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department and students of Govt Physical Education Collage, Bhubaneswar.

This Training & Education (T&E) initiative kick was started on 21 July, 2021 and received an overwhelming participation response, the DSYS claimed. According to the press release, around 250 physical education teachers from Khordha and Cuttack districts as well as students of GCPE, Bhubaneswar registered for the program.

School and Mass Education Department Principal Secretary Satyabrata Sahu, DSYS Principal Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev and Rugby India Board member Rahul Bose attended the inaugural sessions of the Rugby T&E courses.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Dev, said, “Historically, girls from Odisha have done exceptionally well in rugby and we want to create a strong grassroot system and give the same chance to other young boys and girls to take up this sport. Train the Trainers program, one of many to come, is a first step towards developing rugby coaches, who once certified and can take up further activities at the grassroots.”

Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Bose said, “With Olympic level credibility, these rugby courses will help physical education teachers and coaches nurture new talent from schools, colleges, universities from across Odisha. These efforts will not only help in identifying and training the next generation of national players from the state but will also seed rugby at a deep, fundamental level, making it in the future, one of the legacy sports of Odisha.”

The benefactors of this program will be sports coaches, physical education teachers, and students. Once certified, the participants will be equipped to conduct grassroots activities and nurture new talent from schools and universities in their respective districts. Rugby India & ORFA certified educators and coaches will lead this program.

This initiative is aligned with developing players and rugby teams from schools, colleges, universities, district and states to perform in SGFI National School Games, AIU National University Games, Districts/State Rugby Championships and IRFU national competitions.

This program will not only equip the physical education teachers and students with the appropriate knowledge, skill and aptitude to become certified coaches in a promising sport but also enhance their livelihood opportunities. Certification will provide an advantage point and they can go on to mentor the next generation of rugby players from a very young age,” Bose elaborated.