The Impala Saracens Rugby Academy under 13 Team will be participating in the TourAid Festival of Rugby 2015 sponsored by Standard Chartered. Under invitation by the Beacon Prep School, the Ten Boys and Two Carers will be in the U.K. on a 10 day social, cultural and sporting activity tour from Wednesday 30th September and Saturday 10th October.
The tour is part of the wider rugby partnership between Standard Chartered Bank and Impala Saracens Rugby Academy established in 2012. Under the program, the academy uses rugby to positively influence youth in the community around Impala Club. Through rugby, the program provides a pathway for the community youth from strained socio-economic circumstances to support the development of key life skills.
It is envisaged that the tour will impact the aspirations of the boys, raise their self-esteem and confidence and develop a new optimism via the youth leaders, role models and mentors it will create. It is expected that the tour will have great impacts, short and medium term not only on the touring boys, but also our children in the host communities.
During the tour, the boys will be staying in pairs with host families from the Beacon Prep School. The itinerary while there will include day trips/outings with the groups being accompanied by at least 4 adults including liaisons from TourAid to ensure safety, security and support. The carers will be also accommodated with teachers from the Beacon Prep School to help develop friendships and facilitate shared learning.
While in the U.K, the Impala Saracens Academy U13 Team will meet similar groups of boys from Botswana, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Lao, South Africa, Swaziland and Uganda who will be on a similar itinerary including staying within school communities in South-East England. The itinerary will be a mix of sporting, cultural and educational activities and is designed to empower the boys and give them a new confidence that they can take through to adulthood.