Spreading the sport’s gospel to children in Calcutta
One of the by-products of a rugby life on the road, is that the Penguins have been in the perfect position to forge friendships and lend a helping hand. The natural extension of that was that as well as playing and partying they undertook a good deal of coaching and over the years that has become a big part of the club’s make-up.
In 1999 the Penguin International Rugby Football Trust was set up and that has morphed into the Penguin International coaching Academy which is supported by HSBC.The basic idea is to spread the gospel, help out with small national teams lacking the wherewithal, hold coaching clinics for players and potential players of all ages and host coaching seminars for coaches.
Along with all that comes purely practical help which can mean so much for those without – kit, boots, replacement studs, balls, air pumps, kicking tees, posts and so on.
Already the scheme has reached out to the likes of Rwanda – a truly memorable trip to a country with an unexpected passion for the game – Malaysia, Gibraltar, Qatar, Brunei, the Philippines, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Thailand and even Mongolia. Nowhere is off limits.
At the top end the likes of former All Black John Kirwan and ex-Scotland coach Frank Hadden have led the coaching camps ably supported by a platoon of fully qualified coaches. At their most recent venture – this summer – they held a series of huge coaching seminars just north of Calcutta with up to 3,500 school children and coaches attending.
Among other things the Coaching Academy enables stalwart club members and former players – now too old, injured or just plain knackered – to play to maintain that close contact with the sport and old friends.