Players running after the ball in the floodplain field in the favela is a common scene in the daily life of the communities of Brazil. However, in Paraisópolis the sport is different: the rugby. One of the main reasons for the growth of sports is the work done by projects that present the sport to young people.
The proof of this advance is in the third largest favela in Brazil. Inside the Palmeirinha field happens Rugby for all, the first social project of rugby within the Brazilian communities.
“For those who had no money, the rugby was inaccessible. So we wanted to break this barrier,” says Maurício Draghi, administrative director and co -founder of the project. The initiative, which was born in 2004, teaches the techniques and culture of the game for children and adolescents within the favela.
Maurício founded the program alongside Fabricio Kobashi. Passionate about the sport, they believed that it was possible to use the sport as a tool for human development within the favela. “The biggest impact is on the formation of individuals, they end up becoming leaders at their core, whether in their family or at their school.”
Many players who have passed the project are currently part of the Brazilian team or operate in other teams inside or outside Brazil. Maurício, who even played World Cup for Brazil, talks about the feeling of pride to see athletes who once were part of the program reaching great flights within the sport.
“This is very transformative and inspiring for other children and family. Today in the community these people are references. It is very gratifying for us to follow and help in this process.”
Currently the initiative serves 250 young people from Paraisópolis, public school students and primarily in socially vulnerable situations. The classes are divided between 50% girls and boys, aged between 7 and 18 years.
In addition to teaching sports techniques, Rugby for all seeks to occupy the time of young people after school time, developing the individual and social skills of each young man. In addition, the initiative also conducts students’ nutritional and psychological follow -up.
“Paraisópolis has always been a nest of high -level players,” says Robson Morais, 26, Varejão, one of the project’s offspring. The athlete started in sport in 2015 at the age of 17 through rugby for all. Today he is a player of the Brazilian team.
Varejão, who has his roots in Paraisópolis, is starting a new stage in his career. After undergoing a period of testing, this year will play for two teams in the French League, the Entente Vendres Lespignan and the AGDE in the southern European country.
“I identified that it was the opportunity of my life. And rising levels in France, I will be useful for the Brazilian team and I realize the dream of knowing the world, explore a culture and learn a language,” says the athlete.
In Brazil there are about 5,100 athletes active in official competitions and 25,000 registered in the Brazilian Rugby Confederation system. The institution estimates that 60,000 young people are impacted by modality promotion programs in Brazil through the Sports Incentive Law, an instrument that encourages people and companies to sponsor sports programs.
“I was 10 years old when I met the Rugby Social Project for All, in the Paraisópolis favela. My brother started first, I saw his smile and his happiness, so I was interested in playing too,” says Rodrigo Silva, 26, athlete revealed in program.
Rodrigo, who is also going to play in France, recalls the importance of the project in his life and to overcome the current challenges of his career. “Rugby for everyone has prepared me to be a better person, not to divert to bad ways, not disrespect anyone and to be loyal to those on the side.”
Like Varejão, Rodrigo also says goodbye to a club, Pasteur Athlétique Club. The team is one of Rugby’s partners for all for 20 years. In 2024, 20% of players who played for Pasteur on the adult men’s team are from Paraisópolis.
The union between rugby clubs and social programs has become fundamental for the development of sports in Brazil. The exchange between initiatives and teams enables young athletes to evolve within the sport and access new career stages by competing for major championships.
“Many of the stars today come from the communities, so the level of play of a club increases a lot when there are these projects,” says Claire Meigné, vice president of the Board of Directors of Pasteur Athlétique Club.
In addition to offering opportunities for young people to create their trajectory within the sport, this exchange makes clubs increasingly diverse and plural in a sport that has been considered elitist in Brazil. “The coexistence and the mix between people of totally different horizons, this is what brings teachings and life opportunities,” adds Meigné.
The Rugby Program for All currently has two more units outside Paraisópolis. In 2024, the project started its activities in Guarulhos, Greater São Paulo, and serves young 200 children and adolescents. The other unit is in Rio de Janeiro, with facilities in four points of the city.
