Rugby giant Simon Shaw to attend HSBC rugby festival in Bahrain

BAHRAIN: This weekend (April 24 and 25) more than 600 aspiring young rugby players will unite at the Bahrain Rugby Club for one of the biggest annual youth sports festivals in the Kingdom. In town to lend his considerable support to the sport’s future stars is one of England’s finest locks and HSBC rugby spokesperson, Simon Shaw.
At 6ft 8inches, Shaw followed an unusual route to the top of the game, having been born in Kenya to English parents and subsequently raised in Spain. It wasn’t until age 16, when his family returned to the UK, that he discovered the sport that would eventually see him achieve stardom, but his natural abilities were apparent from the start and by age 17 he was playing top-flight club rugby with Bristol.
“Looking back, I realize how young and naive I was about how this sport would shape my future life. Growing up in Kenya and Spain I never thought I would one day be playing rugby for England and had more interest in basketball – as I was always very tall,” Shaw said.
From England students through to U-21 teams, Shaw’s ascent to the top of the game was rapid and included 71 caps for England, three Lions Tours, a Rugby World Cup Winners Medal and in his final year – a Heineken Cup triumph with Toulon.
HSBC is a long-term sponsor of the game at a grassroots level through to the top flight, having engaged with over 200,000 children and adults around the world since 2009. This weekend’s festival in Bahrain, sponsored by HSBC, is an important fixture on the Middle East youth rugby calendar and sees teams from U-7 to U-16 traveling from all around the GCC to compete and forge new friendships. It is these friendships and the enjoyment of the sport that Shaw sees as the key to any future success.
“At a young age, I believe that all sport (whatever it may be) starts with enjoyment – running around with your mates and having fun. Of course you need ability to make it to the top, but if the enjoyment is not there from the start then you quickly lose interest. So I take my hat off to all the parents and coaches here in Bahrain for making this event so enjoyable for the kids,” Shaw said.
This is a view shared by Mehdi Honor, the chairman of Bahrain Rugby Football Club, who has witnessed the growth of the sport here for 15 years:
“Grassroots rugby plays a pivotal role in the future of the sport in Bahrain. This festival helps bring budding young talents together and provides a fun and healthy environment for all players. This year we are celebrating the 22nd anniversary of this fantastic festival and it is amazing to see the volume of players who come together to compete and celebrate the spirit of the sport.”
HSBC’s rugby spokesperson, Simon Shaw, will be at the festival on Friday and Saturday lending his support and encouragement to all players and assisting with trophy presentations and awards.