As part of the tenth anniversary of their international partnership, 3 teachers from Southroyd Primary School visited Bachpan School in Surendranagar, India to forge closer community links.
Over the past decade, both schools have learnt extensively from each other exchanging learning, songs, games, teaching strategies and much more as both schools aim to prepare their children for the modern, global world.
This year Southroyd Primary saw an opportunity to build on the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and the close links between the school, Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Rugby Foundation and felt that strengthening their international links was a great way to celebrate the event and carry on the legacy it created.
Southroyd Primary School established links with the Leeds Rugby Foundation and Leeds Rhinos through its membership of the Priesthorpe Learning Trust as well as being a part of the Ambassador School programme. Having enjoyed a successful tag rugby event during the Autumn term, this was a chance to bring Rugby League and Leeds Rhinos to an international audience and an opportunity that both schools relished.
Despite the heat, lessons began at 7:45am to teach pupils how to develop their invasion and tag rugby skills. Lessons progressed to working as a team and ball handling skills, before developing into some small sided games of tag rugby. The final showcase event saw many members of the school in India, waving Leeds Rhinos flags as two teams battled it out in the heat to become tag champions of the day.
Southroyd Primary Schools Deputy Headteacher, Dave Manton said: "Thanks to the generosity of the Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Rugby Foundation we were able to donate these flags to the school as well as giving them their own Ronnie Rhino mascot and presenting them with a signed Leeds Rhinos shirt and their very own tag rugby equipment."
A small enclave of Leeds Rhinos' fans can now be found in the heat of Gujarat in India. Tag rugby will live on in Bachpan and Southroyd Primary School won't forget its journey and opportunity of sharing the 'greatest game of all' with the wider world.