Promoting rugby as a means of encouraging healthy development of young people

According to a study undertaken by the World Health Organisation, Maltese children are the most overweight and obese children in Europe. The study also brings to light the fact that a percentage of these children are in denial over their chubbiness and very few think they are "too fat."

Maltese 15-year-olds - 32 per cent of boys and 28 per cent girls - are the fattest in 41 countries, even surpassing the US, according to the study which also places Malta second to the US for overweight and obese.

With this as background, the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU) is promoting Rugby both as a fun sport and as a means of healthy development and fitness. With the help of a sponsorship from GasanMamo Insurance, the MRFU will be improving the standard of its players at the grass roots while establishing its strategy in the medium term.

Extending its existing agreement for a further three years, GasanMamo Insurance will provide the much needed financial backing to strengthen the sport's popularity in Malta and making it accessible to youths.

Julian Mamo, director at GasanMamo Insurance said that only by committing further towards MRFU that one can really expect to see tangible results. He remarked that by renewing the agreement, the company is demonstrating commitment towards the development of young people in Malta while staying away from negative activities.

"We have supported the MRFU for the past three years during which we witnessed the introduction of rugby to youth in Malta," said Julian Mamo. Rugby, he remarked, has now become familiar to a lot of children but we would like to see more young people trying out this sport and making the game a mainstream sport in Malta.

Martin Galea, President of the MFRU remarked that through such support the union would continue to attain substantial growth... "In the year 2000 there was a maximum of 60 registered senior male players and three clubs. Today there are over 300 seniors in five clubs, as well as three clubs for women."

There is a thriving mini section with two paid coaches and regular Mal-tag competitions, a thriving U17 section and some 600 registered juniors. Five clubs from the UK are playing Junior Rugby against Maltese teams.

Rugby in Malta owes its origins to the Overseas Rugby Club which was established in 1946. Its members were British and Commonwealth expatriate servicemen and Maltese civilians and military personnel who took part in competitions against Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army visiting teams.

With the closure of the British military base in 1979, the game in Malta was on its deathbed, but a close knit group of diehards formed a social rugby club, called the Phoenicians, in 1983. Following that, the game in Malta has successfully asserted its place among the various sports practised in the country, and found that the Maltese youth are well-suited to the game in skills, stamina and spirit.