Rugby Legends aim for Durban
28 December 2005
Durban, South Africa will be the place to be come June 2006, when one of the largest rugby festivals ever to be held takes place.
Hosted by the South African Rugby Legends Association (Sarla), the World Rugby Legends Festival aims to celebrate rugby at all levels - from school to amateur club to women's rugby - as well as bring together teams of legendary players from around the world.
Inaugural World Rugby Legends Festival
The inaugural World Rugby Legends Festival will be held at various venues in the Durban region from 19 June to 24 June 2006.
The prestigious event will, for the first time in the history of rugby, incorporate teams from all sectors of the amateur game. Never before have clubs, schools, legends and veterans rugby teams assembled under the same banner.
"The main purpose of the legends brand worldwide is to highlight the need to support amateur rugby at all levels," says Sarla CEO
John Allan, a rugby legend in his own right. "Most money generated by rugby goes towards the professional code of the game, which caters for less than 1% of the players. This has led to the neglect of the amateur code on a worldwide scale.
"It is now time to focus on the full spectrum of rugby, from schoolboy at grassroots level to the veteran players who have played the game for over 30 years for fun," says Allan.
Promoting the game
"Sarla's aim, from its inception four years ago, is to harness the skills and talents of our rugby legends to help promote the game of rugby, and for our past heroes to give back to the game of rugby."
The hub of the tournament will feature eight International Legends teams featuring ex-international players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, England, Ireland, Scotland and the Celtic Barbarians (a combination of French and Welsh legends).
Separate tournaments will be held for
International Legends, clubs (both men's and women's), golden oldies (over 35 years), and schools.
Brotherhood of the game
"During the six-day festival, teams will compete in three fixtures each, tournament style, and not for any trophies," says Allan. "Rugby and the brotherhood of the game will be the ultimate winner here."
"This festival provides a unique opportunity for schoolboys to rub shoulders with the legends of the past in a festival of rugby and friendship," says Sarla president Gavin Varejes.
"We look forward to ... a week of combat and camaraderie as over 4 000 of the world's greatest rugby Legends and aspiring Legends, from the ages of 7 to 70, bring the game to life in the biggest rugby spectacular the world has ever seen," says Varejes.
John Eales (Australia), Ian Jones (New Zealand), Jason Leonard (England), Gary Teichmann (South Africa), Gavin Hastings (Scotland), Keith Wood (Ireland), Federico Mendez
(Argentina), Philippe Sella (France) and other prominent internationals will be among more than 200 former internationals attending the festival.
Significant backing
Durban, South Africa's playground, has come on board to help support an event that could become a major feature on the rugby calendar in years to come. The IRB, SA Rugby Union, KZN Rugby Union and City of Durban have all endorsed the festival.
All participants will attend the opening dinner and closing function, as well as The Imbizo (Gathering) sponsored by the City of Durban - an international friendship day on the beautiful beaches of Durban.
For more information, e-mail Sarla's Merril Cleal or visit the SA Rugby Legends or World Rugby Legends Festival websites.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
| 
