A rugby boom in the offing

IT WAS at the Far Pavilion, Bombay Gymkhana that many met and shook hands and talked to Chaitanya Sinh. He ought to have been flattered because he was being recognised, perhaps for the first time, as captain of India's rugby team (what a shame), which he has been for more than a year. The evening itself was eventful with the Indian Rugby Union (IRU) announcing plans that might set off a `rugby sport boom' in India in the next decade. The IRU's Senior Vice-President, Mr. Pramod Khanna had articulated the strategic developments so well that it hardly left anyone unconvinced about what is in store for a sport understood as extremely physical and dangerous.

But it appears there are good days ahead for rugby. Chaitanya's reassuring and refreshing words promise a terrific growth for the sport in India in the coming years. Chaitanya played rugby for Cathedral and John Cannon School, Bombay Gymkhana and then for the University of Pennsylvania where he did a Bachelor's course in Business Management. Now he, as a part of the Indian Rugby Union (IRU) is in the vanguard of spreading rugby.

Chaitanya knows the history and more about `Indian rugby', which he says was `brought in by the British, but it's only in the last 20 years that the locals have taken it up. ``And in the last two decades that we have seen the growth of Indian rugby as we know it today with Bombay Gymkhana and the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCFC) taking it up seriously.''

``The last two or three years, however, has been very crucial because we got the membership with the International Rugby Board (IRB) and recognition from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). We are also members of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU). It was only after this that we were invited to play in tournaments in Singapore (1998), Sri Lanka (1999) and Malaysia and Sri Lanka this year. This is from top to down.''

``But at the bottom it is different. Calcutta has a well developed rugby scenario. There are about ten schools and six clubs playing already. There is also the `Future Hope' run by a British, Tim Grundige, who has done amazing things taking the under-privileged children and training them. So that's the lead we are looking for in Mumbai, making the schools and the under- privileged youth play rugby.''

The IRB has played its role in activating the Indian body.``They (IRB) were looking at the Indians to put in place a professional administration. Once you have people who are liable for their actions, then you have a system that can be held accountable. There has to be a clear definition of short and long term goals and there have to be strategies to achieve these goals.''

The Western India Rugby Union is doing it as a test case in Mumbai schools and once this becomes successful, Chaitanya hopes the game will spread all over the country. ``We will go to every major city and to the schools. You have to make a start, although we would love to do it in a big scale, but at this point, we are financially bound. The most important thing is that we are getting children to play rugby.''

Chaitanya agrees that the television coverage is much wider now and one gets to see games. ``The visibility is higher, but I also think, in a sense, Indian rugby has come of age. Now we are a legitimate national union which has the responsibility of spreading the sport. We have directives from the IRB which is looking at India as a potentially huge market. New centres have come up. There are three teams in Delhi and Chennai has got a huge development plan going on. The sport has also made its presence in Pondicherry, Pune, Orissa and Chandigarh.''

The Indian captain mentioned about how rugby has become a big hit in China. `` China has been a success story for the IRB. Their armed forces are into it in a big way. In fact about one million Chinese are playing rugby. They started in 1998, almost the same time we started and already they are a force to reckon with in the Asian Circuit.''

Citing reasons for the lack of interest for the sport, he said: ``It's not the physical part of it, but the elitism aspect which has prevented the growth of rugby in India. There are no rugby pitches. It's a monsoon sport played at relatively elite clubs which is not open to the public. So it will remain in these pockets, the CCFC and the Bombay Gymkhana. They have done their bit to promote rugby, but they cannot do more than that little bubble.''

The IRU is determined to give a fillip to the sport, hitherto, confirmed to certain territories. The first step is to introduce in a `touch and tag' format. We are looking at the sixth to ninth standard children. Initially we will start with non-contact rugby. They will learn the basics of the game. What we don't want to do is to discourage them, because of the image of the contact sport. Non-contact rugby is all about skills without the bumps. Once they move into the 10th standard we can start contact rugby. Then we will have these boys playing contact rugby in the under- 19, under-21 and the senior level. This will take five years before we start getting a good crop. Until then we will hold the fort. I think those who play touch rugby on their own will move on to contact rugby. The transition will be very quick after two years.''

What about the sponsors ? The IRU has approached educational dot coms. ``I think once ten to 15 schools start playing rugby and there is media coverage, there will be a market for the sponsors to come. It's like a catch 22 situation. The sponsors won't come until they see the market and the market cannot be developed unless you get the sponsors.''

There will be efforts to provide incentives so that the boys retain interest in the sport. There are quite a few options according to Chaitanya. ``One is to make rugby a sports option. Like cricket, may be, rugby will be a pro sport in five or ten years if it develops well enough. Secondly coaches deputed by the IRB from England will bring in new fitness and training techniques which will be taken into the schools programme. They will be here on a three month stint. We are also trying to work out rugby discount cards from sponsors which can be used at their retail outlet to buy things. There will be workshops for PT teachers. Non-contact format is not full scale rugby.''

The IRU is also hoping that the three wings of the Services and Railways will take the sport in a big way. ``They will be our target. The Sports Ministry has to recognise our association which we are hopeful will come in September 2001. Then only the armed forces can play the sport. This is what happened in China. There was a huge fall out. This will happen in India, too. Now there are only 700 rugby players in India. Once you have the right people at the administration, the right work ethics and the right promotionals, I don't really see why we cannot compete with the best in the world.

``If people get exposure to the sport as well as the players who represent the country get the exposure, I think then the rugby stars will be created. I think in five six years there will be rugby stars who will die for their country on the rugby pitch. The Punjabis and the jats would be ideal for rugby. It's going to be a gradual growth process. The thing is we don't have the infrastructure. We will go to Punjab and the North-East, but until next September, our focus will be on schools.''

Chaitanya says rugby is a sport which `crosses all barriers'. ``In a team the chain of command is so tightly knit that if the person next to me does not perform, I cannot. I will actually sacrifice my body for my team player to get that ball. It's not a thing that needs to be hammered in...it's part of the sport. You forget who you are, where you are...you just play for the team. All that matters is the colour of your jersey...if you are wearing the same colour as mine, you are on my side, if you are wearing another, you are my enemy, and I will kill. That's the mentality. That's the most beautiful part of rugby.''

G. VISWANATH

Mumbai

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