Sports can often be utilized as a way to instill powerful lessons in a child’s life.  

Samoa Rugby Union has been utilizing the sport of rugby to push five core values: Integrity, Respect, Solidarity, Passion and Discipline.  These values bode well in the cause of Eliminating Violence against Women and Girls.

Yesterday, the S.R.U.’s development programme Get into Rugby (GiR) hosted a rugby tournament as a vehicle to promote awareness in the “Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls” in partnership with U.N. Women.  

 Bad weather conditions didn’t stop kids from having the best time as there were tries aplenty.  Over 200 kids aged 5-14 from the Apia Central, Safata and Siumu districts came out to display their skills.  

Toluaiva Keneti, the H.P. Administrator for the Samoa Rugby Union was ecstatic to see such great participation.   

 “We need to educate the youngsters from a young age in order to carry out primary prevention on violence against women and girls. Through sports can make a huge difference to ensure gender equity and empowerment of women in sports.” 

The programme was such a success that the Get into Rugby  team have already been asked to arrange more tournaments like this in the southern part of Upolu.  

Kids in Savaii were not forgotten as well and the Get Into Rugby team will be hosting a tournament at Avao, Savaii on 2nd-3rd December 2016, under the same theme “Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls”. 

This is just one of many tournaments where World Rugby and Samoa Rugby Union in partnership with U.N. Women and the Samoa Victim Support Group are utilizing Rugby as a tool to create awareness about this age-long issue of domestic violence especially against women and children.