What's it all about?

Pride, confidence, leadership, and joy. Janice Leung, Captain, accepts the teams' awards and shows us what it's all about.


I was never a good rugby player. When I was at school, I did my best to avoid team sports. My dad took me to watch rugby games, then enrolled me in the youth section of a local club. I never had much idea what was going on. Back then, rugby coaching seemed to consist of turning us out onto a frozen field in February and letting the big kids knock over the little kids. There was no Tag, no Touch, no six-a-side or seven-a-side. I didn't take to it all. Worst of all was the weight of expectation: the feeling (probably imagined) that my dad wanted me to be good at this, but we both knew I never really would be.

Now, though, I love rugby. Aside from running (which I'm good at) rugby is really the only sport that delights me. I still don't play it. I started to get really passionate about it just three-and-a-bit years ago, when I first introduced it at NIS, in my first year here. What I love about rugby is teaching it.

But why? Rugby is minority sport in Hong Kong and worldwide. This is 'just' primary school; and honestly, many of our NIS kids playing rugby now will never touch a rugby ball again once they go up to secondary school. We play just a few tournaments a year, and we are not the kind of school that places a huge emphasis on a full trophy case in the lobby. So what's it all about?

What it is all about is building something. I want our kids to have the experience of getting together to make something new, a team. And through that team learning about themselves. The kids this year who have taken part in rugby have amazed me. Their skills and fitness have improved dramatically. That is all down to the time and effort they have put in. They have learned that every minute of their time set aside for purposeful play and practice improves their skill, improves their understanding, and boosts their enjoyment. They've learned about leadership: how to lead, and how to accept being led. I've seen them feeling low after losing a game, and coming back fighting for the next one. They've learned about courage and persistence.

I was very proud of all our players today at the end of practice. We played a very heartfelt, very tense mini-tournament in which each team was hugely interested in winning but all kept their tempers and played their best rugby. Sitting down with them afterwards to discuss squad selection for the next tournament, they moved me with their openness and willingness to include everyone, every player who had showed up for practice. The word they kept using was 'commitment'. Any player, they felt, who had shown commitment, should have the chance to go to the tournament, regardless of ability, regardless of taking the 'strongest' or the 'best' squad. This all came from the kids, not from me as coach. They showed me that they cared about winning, and were willing to train hard and play hard to do well: but more than that, they wanted to honor the commitment and contribution of everyone who had worked and sweated through all the training with them.

Again: rugby may not be a part of their lives in the years to come. I don't know. But I do hope that the lessons they have learned in the NIS rugby team this year will stay with them and find application wherever they go and on whatever missions they find in life.

Here are some wonderful pictures from Jeff Coey, taken at the ESF TAG Tournament on March 19. The kids are in action again at DBIS Beach Touch on April 16, then a HKTTRA Primary Touch on April 22.

Clare steps a JIS defender...

...gets outside him...

...and forces him to commit to the tackle before offloading to her brother, Evan - perfect timing!

Evan takes the ball cleanly and attacks the corner...

...straight ahead, with Clare giving vocal support!

He already knows he's scored...

...and makes sure with a good, controlled placement. That wasone of many wonderful passages of play.

Here is Lily, fearless among the Kellett giants.

Fiona is our best defender and loves to make big, fast attackers stop and go backwards!

Warren coaches Clare.

Noah in full stride. Ewan and Mr Merrett coaching from the side.

The Captain steps...

Hanlin keeps two hands on the ball and takes it straight up the field.

There are many other photos from the day - many thanks to Mr. Coey. I hope to make a yearbook and burn a DVD for all the rugby team members!