Why Rugby?

Rugby is a relatively new sport in the country with its only team, the Yangon Dragons, having formed in 2013. The novelty factor has attracted participants and the fact that it’s new means there aren’t yet any social, class or gender tropes attached to it. The values promoted through rugby of: respect, passion, sportsmanship, discipline, integrity, camaraderie and teamwork are easily transferrable across myriad activities from daily life through to the world of work. This coupled with the physiological benefits of cardiovascular fitness and endurance, upper and lower body strength, agility, speed, hand eye coordination and communication skills makes rugby a valuable tool for the development of young people.

First developed at Rugby School in England in the 1800s, Rugby Football is now an international sport that enjoys huge popularity in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and America. Rugby is vaguely similar to American football in that it is a contact team sport with the goal of getting the football over an opponent’s goal line. Whether it’s played recreationally or competitively, Rugby is a great sport to stay healthy and fit. Here are some health benefits of playing the beautiful game:

Builds strength: Rugby is a great sport for increasing all over body strength. Tackling, rucking and mauling all require anaerobic fitness and  a strong core.

Improves agility: Speed, agility and quickness are all improved by Rugby.  Quick feet and hands are needed to evade opposing players and also to create space for your teammates to cross the gain line.

Cardio: Improves the body’s cardiovascular system by building a strong heart and lungs that are better able to deliver oxygen to muscles faster. The constant running and sprinting across the field can give you a really good cardio workout because of the increased heart rate and interval training.

Increased self-confidence: Rugby offers teenagers and young people  increased confidence and self-respect, as the ultimate character-building sport. It fosters courage, fitness, team effort and togetherness, bringing together boys and girls from all backgrounds.

Increases in bone density: Regularly playing Rugby will increase your bone density because exercise imposes stress on the bones, thus stimulating the deposition of calcium along the line of stress. This can help to avoid developing osteoporosis in later life.

Builds discipline: Rugby requires a high degree of preparation, and through participation in structured training and playing a regular matches, Rugby can develop key mental skills of self control and discipline.

Resilience and Stress reduction: The release of endorphins while playing the game lifts your mood and can help a better night’s sleep. Through overcoming challenging situations during a game, players can build resilience to stress and are often able to better tackle problems off the field in their personal and professional lives.

Improves mental health: Like most team sports, Rugby gives players a sense of purpose and place within a  group. The sense of camaraderie and friendship with teammates is a vital part of helping people move towards a more positive frame of mind.

Develops speed and endurance: Regularly playing and training for Rugby both increases your speed in running and will also build your endurance.

For a little more information on the organisation it the media and on Rugby in Myanmar see links below:
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union_in_Myanmar
– https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/passing-it-back/
– https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/myanmar-to-host-first-international-rugby-tournament/
– https://asiatimes.com/2019/09/myanmars-dragons-dodge-cows-to-play-rugby/
– https://www.mizzima.com/article/dung-and-dragons-myanmar-kids-dodge-cows-play-rugby
– https://www.rugbyasia247.com/crossing-the-gain-line-rugby-development-in-myanmar/

What we do