International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2021

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace falls on April 6 annually. We look at what some organisations in rugby across Asia are doing to mark the occasion in 2021.

Feature Photo Credit: Khelo Rugby – India, Saraswatipur

(If your rugby community, club, union, or as an individual are supporting #IDSDP2021 in Asia, get in touch and let us know!)

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2021

ChildFund Rugby IDSDP2021

The recently rebranded ChildFund Rugby said of IDSDP2021, “The last 12 months have seen the world facing unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has heavily impacted on the well-being of children and young people: isolation, losing access to peer support networks, holding concerns about health and wellbeing, and experiencing violence.”

This #IDSDP2021, ChildFund is highlighting sport as a critical tool to keep children and young people physically and emotionally safe and to equip them to overcome challenges in a time of uncertainty!”

Stay tuned to their social pages for more news.

Image Credit: ChildFund Rugby

Charitable Events – Asian Rugby Development

Although not directly linked to the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, a number of charitable initiatives are also taking place across Asia to support rugby development.

HKFC Rugby to Hanoi Challenge

Hong Kong Football Club, are participating in the HKFC Rugby to Hanoi Challenge. This is a virtual charity challenge and HKFC says on its website: “Calling on the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) Rugby Section community to rally their teams and travel 869km – the distance from Hong Kong to Hanoi – to help raise funds for children far less fortunate.”

The aim of the challenge is to raise funds and awareness for the charities ChildFund Rugby and Po Leung Kuk. Interested participants can get involved as a team or as individuals. You can also donate here.

Aside from benefiting youths, there are also prizes for those who get involved.

Pot Bellied Pigs RFC – Walking Challenge

The infamous social rugby club in Hong Kong, which spends a lot of time and energy in raising funds for rugby development in SEA has announced a walking challenge. The distance of the challenge covers a total of 2100km over the month of April 2021.

Club members “Ross Bendix, Lincoln Kinley, Rich Leung, and Andrew Lupton and Greg Bax will walk the distance from Hong Kong to Angeles City and back” the Pot Bellied Pigs RFC have announced.

The club added “As many of you know we hold our annual Fat Boys tournament every year so this is a great way to continue our support to that community and of course the other causes that the Pigs support! Good luck to the individuals and thank you for your kind donations.”

The money raised will go towards the various causes that the club supports, “helping to support underprivileged children and their families. We cannot emphasise enough how much your continued support makes a difference in these individual lives.” You can donate here.

The Club has also recently launched a podcast (The Pig Pen) which can be seen and heard here.

Asian Rugby Development

• Huge FIT referee training in Asia.
• Coaching Rugby in Asia – Ben Gollings.
• Jungle Crows and Khelo Rugby (India).
• 2021 World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarships.