The game and its values are healing old wounds in a part of Georgia still recovering from the 2008 war.
It has only been running for three months, but a project bringing rugby coaching to children in Georgian villages is already bringing about a positive change to communities still dealing with the devastation of the 2008 August War, claim organisers.
“After school, they have nothing much to do. They do homework, then they help at home or in the orchards – adult responsibilities from a young age. This project gives them more of a real childhood, something fun,” says Giorgi Kacharava, a 32-year old Georgian rugby player capped 15 times for his country in the 2000s, who is now helping the Samaritan Association of Georgia (SSK) with this exciting rugby initiative.
As captain of Lelo, the current champions of Georgia, and part of the recently formed Tbilisi Caucasians, Kacharava has plenty of knowledge and skills to pass on to the children involved, who come from the villages of Ditsi, Arbo, Qordi and Tirdznisi in Shida Kartli region.
“I have good contacts in the Georgian Rugby Union and wanted to put a project together in this region. I wanted people to have a healthy lifestyle and help each other,” says Kacharava, who does a variety of community volunteer work, including with young offenders, using rugby as a tool.
Alastair Watt
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