7’s Grenoble University Rugby Clinic At Sadili Oval

Safari Sevens 2010 semi-finalists and 2012 quarter-finalists, the Grenoble University,  stopped to run a rugby clinic at Sadili Oval Sports Academy and a visit to the Kibera Slums on the 21^st of September 2012. 

The youthful team, which is managed by a charismatic coach and team manager, Monsieur Pierre Chaix, arrived at the Academy at 1430 hours and quickly set on running the excited academy players through the paces. Amongst the skills taught by the Grenoble University players were passing off the ground, the ruck, the scrum down and the line out.

When reached for comments on how he thought of the skill levels in the rugby academy, professional rugby player and captain of the Grenoble sevens side in this year’s Safari Sevens was quick to post a positive one, saying “these kids have improved three-fold of what they were last year, they are now aware of the competitive side of rugby and can not only pass the ball but also play a match against us.”

At 1600 hours, the team visited Ujamaa Community School, a beneficiary of Sadili Rugby Academy located in Lindi, Kibera, where they donated stationery. Kibera is among the harshest places in the world, and the Grenoble University players who affirmed that they were from affluent families back in France were hugely emotional at witnessing the conditions of life present in the slum. Thibault Gery, a second year student at the university and a core player who accidentally tripped and fell in a trench on the way to Kibera was as equally emotional as his teammate Ilwo. And they promised to come back next year with more stationery to boost levels of education of the schools involved in the rugby program.

The visit from Grenoble university forma part of a joint partnership between the Embassy of France and Sadili Oval, a non-profit sports NGO, to set up one of Kenya's first rugby academies, providing hope to young Kenyans, particularly those from the Kibera slums, who form part of Sadili's programs.

You can see more of this visit on 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23iWRt5jh-4