Outreach to India

An industry-backed school’s rugby programme, developed to offer opportunity to children living in some of India’s most deprived districts, has formed a new partnership with Leicester Tigers.

Sliders UK began its support for the Delhi Hurricanes School Rugby Development Programme in 2016. This is built on a model first pioneered in the UK by the Atlas Foundation which promotes discipline and team working through the sport.

Alex Murphy, Sliders UK’s managing director and former London Irish loose-head prop, coaches as part of the scheme.

“The Delhi Hurricanes School Rugby Development Programme has seen massive growth,” Alex said. “This year’s festival was attended by 700 children from Delhi, Chennai and Calcutta – that’s 200 more than last year. The programme is really about outreach to some of India’s poorest communities, giving children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage in sport the chance to do so, while encouraging their learning and academic achievement through teamwork.”

The Atlas foundation was set up by 114 England cap loose-head prop Jason Leonard, to provide a link between businesses looking to make a contribution as part of their CSR strategies and grassroots rugby worldwide as a funding organisation.

Sliders UK’s continuing sponsorship of the scheme helps to finance three full-time coaching posts in Delhi, in partnership with  funding from the Atlas Foundation.