Congratulations to Kiribati Rugby Football Union (KRFU) for being Oceania Rugby’s Get Into Rugby (GIR) Spotlight Union for the month of May.
In just two years since their establishment, KRFU and their rugby programs have grown rapidly on the Island, making them so deserving of this month’s Oceania Rugby GIR Spotlight Union feature and the prize of $NZD100 worth in vouches.
Leading up to the month of May, KRFU launched the first Secondary School Touch Competition, that comprised of junior, intermediate and senior categories for both girls and boys.
Initially, a total of 11 schools participated in the competition, which comprised of 280 boys competing from 20 separate Boys teams and 210 girls from 15 different Girls teams. However, unfortunately due to the Covid lockdown, the competition has now been moved to August.
During May, KRFU held their Open Touch Rugby Club Competition for both men and women. The Competition was run mid-week, which prevented school children from participating. A total of 126 men from 9 different clubs and 56 women from 4 different clubs, took part in the competition.
According to Karea Baireti, President of KRFU,
“Touch rugby started way back in 1995 but it was just for fun but now we are more focus, and I am looking at rugby as pathway for the Kiribati people to the world.
”Oceania Rugby’s Participation Pathways Manager, Tihrani Uluinakauvadra, has been working closely with the KRFU, which is a World Rugby Get into Rugby Centre and has applied for membership with Oceania Rugby, said,
“Kiribati Rugby Football Union, is yet to be a member of Oceania Rugby Union, however it’s through their proper planning, implementation World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby program that is exceptional, and they deserve the recognition of being a Spotlight Union.”
Learn more about Get into Rugby within the Oceania Region and our Member Unions here.
