Longhill Plays Rugby 4 Peace

More than 200 students from secondary schools across East Sussex took part in the Rugby 4 Peace festival run by the University of Brighton. The event was the culmination of a three-day international training programme with teachers, coaches and students from the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, The Gambia, South Korea and the USA taking part.

Rugby 4 Peace is based on Football 4 Peace International, the university’s award-winning project promoting peaceful co-existence in troubled communities. It has been operating in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, The Gambia and South Korea since 2001.

It uses sport as a tool to develop an awareness and understanding of trust, respect, responsibility, equity, inclusion and neutrality and its importance within society.

Coaches at the Falmer festival applied the Rugby 4 Peace curriculum during practical training and self-refereeing games sessions.

Dr Gary Stidder, co-founder of Football 4 Peace, said: “This was a fantastic celebration of how sport and education can influence young people in a positive way.

“With the university hosting two Rugby World Cup teams, in Eastbourne and Brighton, there is a real interest in the game locally amongst young people and we wanted to use this enthusiasm to promote important values in society that the game itself actively nurtures.”

Students from Longhill joined other young rugby players from all over Brighton and East Sussex to make up mixed teams; the focus was on the Rugby 4 Peace values such as teamwork, respect, equality and leadership.  Longhill coach, Neil Davie, commented, “It was a brilliant day.  All our students did themselves and Longhill proud.” 

Extracts printed by kind permission of University of Brighton

The Rugby 4 Peace coaches, with Longhill’s Neil Davie, second from left

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