Touchdown Kids

A rugby coach for over 17 years,which includes an eight-year stint as coach of the Malaysian national team,Herewini has travelled all over the world,particularly Asia,as a rugby missionary – spreading awareness and passing on lessons. “I like to travel and learn about different cultures,” he says. “It also gives me a chance to help promote the game I love,” he adds.

Supporting his motives is the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU),who have called upon the former New Zealand-born Hong Kong international to introduce the sport to students at the grassroots level and train them. The program has been scheduled in a way that would allow Herewini to visit and coach the students from select number of schools.

Starting as early as eight in the morning,Herewini and his assistant coaches,a majority of whom play for the Mumbai Magicians rugby team,set out on their training regime. After gaining the appreciation and fascination of both the staff and students of NES International and Raje Shivaji on Tuesday,the team of coaches began the following day with training at the Marwari Commercial School in Chira Bazar. The students from classes four to nine gleamed as they wore the white t-shirt handed out by the coaches.

Instructions bellowed by Herewini proclaimed that the three aspects the session was to focus on was safety,communication with teammates and fun. The session involved basic drills that served to improve passing,movement and communication amongst teammates. Herewini,heralding a whistle,constantly marshalled the students as they made their way through the cone-marked path the head coach had set up. At the end of the session,he soon found himself surrounded by the students,all eager to shake his hand before the team of coaches could leave. The school’s physical trainer Madhuri Patil,who kept a vigilant eye on the training,expressed her happiness. “It’s very encouraging to see the children so happy and enthusiastic,” says Patil. “I too had a lot of fun watching and participating in the drills.”

The reception at the Colaba Municipal School was similar to the ones witnessed before. Students barged out of the classroom to participate in the training. The teachers too obliged and encouraged them. Catering to over three hundred students over three sessions,almost all the students had smiles on their faces as soon as they held the ball. The 48-year-old also took the opportunity to encourage his assistant coaches by stepping aside for the final session and letting them take charge. “I always do that. It gives them confidence and it also helps them get better,” he says while his younger assistants demonstrate the drills Herewini had performed previously. “And then I give them feedback,” he adds,laughing as he points towards a coach guilty of confusing the students.

Herewini will be joined by another international coach,Singaporean Ismail Kadir,to facilitate the training project till the weekend. The grand finale for the training is the opportunity for the students to witness the Indian team in action during the Asian Sevens Series,which will be held at the Bombay Gymkhana. “It will be good for the kids to get a chance to watch their country’s best players play,” says Herewini. “They have just got a feel for rugby from us,but now they can actually watch a game live and really see what the sport has in store,” he concludes.