A MIDLANDS media agency has helped a group of Ugandan schoolchildren visiting the country for a major tag rugby festival put their best foot forward.
Team Kampala are taking part in the Jaguar Land Rover International Tag Rugby Youth Festival, organised by the ‘Engage!’ programme.
‘Engage!’ is an educational rugby initiative that uses the core values of the game to help develop healthy, well-rounded, confident young people.
The schoolchildren, who are aged between 13 and 15, arrived in the city without any sports-shoes to wear during practice sessions.
Advent Communications, which is based at Electric Wharf, Coventry, has stepped in to donate 10 pairs of new trainers and presented them to the delighted team during a Civic Reception held at St Mary’s Guild Hall, in the city centre.
Team Kampala coach Stella Kyalikunda, who plays for the Ugandan rugby team, said: “The children couldn’t believe it when they received the new trainers and are really excited to test them out during the practice sessions.
“It is such a great opportunity for them to be able to come to Coventry to play rugby and to make new friends.
“A lot of the children have never been abroad before so it is a completely new experience for them.
“They have loved taking part in all of the activities so far including watching the Wasps vs Samoa game at the Ricoh Arena at the weekend – they also can’t wait to take part in the tournament.”
The Jaguar Land Rover International Tag Rugby Youth Festival is bringing teams from Paris, New York, Brazil, Kampala and Coventry together to take part in an action-packed programme of events to celebrate the Rugby World Cup 2015.
Lee Corden, senior manager at Advent Communications, said: “It was great to meet all the children from Team Kampala and they seem to be having the time of their lives here in Coventry.
“Sport is a great way of bringing children from all types of background together and the ‘Engage!’ project is the perfect example of how that can happen.”
