Siliguri — The Girls Rugby Team from Saraswatipur Tea Garden under Don Bosco Parish Siliguri, won the West Bengal State Level Championship at the 5th Netaji State Games 2016 organized by Bengal Olympic Association at Salt Lake SAI Sports Complex, 18 January 2016.

In the final played against Jungle Crows Kolkata, the team scored a perfect 40 – 0 over the rivals to win the gold medal.

The team is trained and sponsored by the Jungle Crows Rugby Foundation in Kolkata under its outreach project called Khelo Rugby meant to promote rugby among disadvantaged youth groups.

It is the brainchild of Mr. Paul Walsh, a British Citizen, who gave up his lucrative posting in British Council, Kolkata to promote rugby.

The team is coached by Mr. Roshan Xaxa, former Don Bosco Ashalayam youth who is a professional Rugby Coach, now stationed in Saraswatipur as a full time coach.

During the past one year, the Girls’ Team has won several trophies in championships held in various parts of the country.

The Jungle Crows rugby team was founded in May 2004 by three friends who fancied having a game of rugby in Kolkata. John, Gary and Paul went on to train and recruit players to field two teams in the 2004 Georgiadi Cup Sevens.

More players came and eventually after a lot of hard work came a little success.

“We also found that although playing and training was huge fun there was more to what we could achieve with rugby,” says Mr Walsh.

The Men’s 15 have won the main Kolkata league trophies: Calcutta Cup and Centenary Cup and we’ve placed highly in national tournaments at senior and junior levels.

The Women have achieved huge success winning national tournaments and playing for India.

Khelo is about taking sporting opportunity to socially disadvantaged communities, most of whom would not normally have any chance to take part in any organised sporting activity.

Mr Walsh insists, “We work in communities where there are few if any activities available for children. The children get the chance to play and learn together in a safe and coach controlled environment.”

Khelo uses non-contact tag rugby and netball to do this and began in Kolkata where today 12 communities benefit from weekly coaching. The Khelo Rugby programme is now also working with children in the Siliguri area of North Bengal, Dumka in Jharkhand and Chennai.