Tag Archive for: Recycling Rugby

Cameroon: Feedback on the rugby introductory program in the schools in the Ndé region

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Our rugby introductory program in the schools in the Ndé region has grown and we are ever so proud of this. We would like to thank Recycling Rugby, which has been supporting this program for the last year through its Foundation, thus allowing us to pay our coaches and buy rugby equipment.

The first rugby introductory sessions in the Ndé schools began in 2019 at the initiative of young rugby players from our Bangangté rugby team, known as the Nzuimanto Rugby Club. This Club is a group of young rugby players who have been trained by the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA). Upon completing their training, as they did not want to be split in order to integrate various clubs within the national territory, they resolved to set up a team to defend the colours of their own region, the Ndé, at the national level. In 2019, it was apparent that rugby was almost non-existent in the curriculum of the schools in the Ndé region. At the same time, introductory sessions were also conducted by Abaa, rugby manager of the Zoétélé centre in schools near his centre.

In Ndé, since September 2019, our young coaches, Idriss Ketcha, Jacques Toresse and Loïc Zeutsop have massively contributed to the popularisation of rugby in the schools. These actions happened once authorisation had been given by the Cameroonian Rugby Federation (Fecarugby) for the inclusion of rugby in schools. From 2019, Idriss, Jacques and Loïc gave theoretical presentations to make our sport known to school teams and students, handed out rugby balls, and carried out rugby training for young people from 2021. We would like to thank them for their dedication to the development of rugby in the country. It is a pleasure to collaborate with such passionate and diligent young people.

In 2021, 7 schools in the Ndé region benefited from SBA rugby introductory sessions, i.e. 745 children, plus the children from the Eau Claire centre in Bangangté and also those from the neighbourhood. In 2022, the young coaches of the Serge Betsen Academy carried on presenting rugby to the boards of schools in the region, and carried out rugby introductory sessions in 8 different schools and thus introduced rugby to 750 children. Rugby introductory sessions therefore took place in 2022 in the following schools: Nenta nursery school, Group 1 public school, Group 2 A and B public school, Fatgo’o public school, Saint Jean-Baptiste College, Babou Classic High School, Lycée Technique of Banékane and the Japanese Donation Public School, Group I A and B.

Here are some supporting photos:

 

Introductory session to school Group 2 A and B

Introduction to the Fatgo’o school

Introduction to the group 1 school of the Japanese Donation CM1B

Rugby introduction at the Bamena Technical High School

Rugby introduction at Saint Jean-Baptiste College

School introduction Group 2 A and B

At the Serge Betsen Academy, we work to develop rugby in the Ndé region but also in other regions where our centres are located. In the Zoétélé region, for example, rugby in schools dates back to 2011, the year in which it was set up by the Atoak Koumou association. When the SBA centre in Zoétélé was created in 2013 the SBA-Atoak Koumou partnership continued with these rugby introductions.

In Zoétélé there are 4 primary schools, namely the public school of Zoétélé Group 1 and Group 2, the Catholic school Sainte Marguerite and the bilingual school of Zoétélé which benefit from rugby initiations by the Serge Betsen Academy. In Nkoumadjap, there are 2 primary schools in which rugby initiations have been set up regularly: the public school of Nkoumadjap and the Catholic school of Nden, as well as 2 secondary schools: the Lycée of Nkoumadjap and the CETIC of Nden. Over the year 2021-2022, the Serge Betsen Academy recorded 1,518 children in Zoétélé and 726 children in Nkoumadjap who took part in the rugby initiation program.

In Yaoundé, Moise, coach of the Jardin Eden centre and of the youth team of the B Nkol Eton center (formerly Etoudi) will soon be in charge of developing the practice of rugby in schools in his sector in Yaoundé.

It is a real pleasure for the SBA to get young people to discover our sport and its values. Thanks again to Recycling Rugby for their support.

 

Translation : Katy Birge-Wilson

Event: over 11,000 € collected during the Rugbusiness Club event, held on January 19 at the Servette Rugby Genève

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On Thursday, January 19, the Servette Rugby Genève and its two sponsors, Helvetia Environnement and Pelichet organised a Rugbusiness Club event, an evening to raise money for charity. The Serge Betsen Academy was the beneficiary association of the event. Serge Betsen had the pleasure of participating to the evening where over 11,000 € were collected for our disadvantaged children in Cameroon and Mali.

 

 

 

 

During this event mixing rugby, solidarity and charity, works of art from our SBA Cameroon artists, bags and cases from Recycling Rugby, three collector jerseys and seats in VIP boxes were sold at auction.

We would like to say a big thank you to the Servette Rugby Genève team for their welcome and support, to the partners and to all the donors who participated in the auctions or made a donation on our platform. It was a very beautiful evening in Geneva, rich in encounters!

 

We want to thank especially:

  • Alain Studer, Alain Vuarnet, Adrien Vigne Donati, Anne Levenard from the Servette Rugby Genève for the organisation of this beautiful event and for their welcome,
  • Vincent Chapel and Mike Sebaut from Helvetia Environnement for their support as a partner of the evening,
  • Stéphane Disant and Régis Serriere from Pelichet for their support as a partner,
  • Quentin Delhoen and his team of Prime & Co.,
  • Etienne Mouthon and Marc Bouchet for their roles as auctioneers,
  • Patrick Lachaussée of the Consulate General of France in Geneva, Philippe Spanghero, Julien Malet, Alexandre Toussaint, Odile Prevot, Jérôme Teiletche for their help prior or during the event,
  • Xavier Lamy, Nora Merad, Etienne Mouthon, Alexandre Ober, Julien Malet, Bernard Bosseau, Mike Chris, Gérard Gabet and Valcoeur Invest, Arthur Bataille, Valéry Ecuyer, Jean-Marie Bouchet for their donations,
  • Gaël Fickou and Romain Taofifénua for their jerseys and their efforts coupled to those of Emile Ntamack to collect the signatures of the internationals of Racing 92 and of Stade Toulousain,
  • Our artists, Philippe and Christelle from the Cameroon SBA-Craft for their works sold at auction, as well as Recycling Rugby for their bags, purses and kits made from recycled rugby balls.

You can watch the video of the event here.

 

Translation : Katy Birgé-Wilson

Event: “Serge Betsen Academy inter-centre rugby tournament – Societe Generale Cameroun”, third edition.

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We are delighted to announce that the third edition of the “Tournoi de rugby inter-centres Serge Betsen academy Société Générale Cameroun” (Serge Betsen Academy – Societe Generale Cameroon inter-centre rugby tournament) will take place on Saturday 30 October in Bangangté, Cameroon.

Due to the pandemic, this tournament initially planned for 2020 had to be postponed, thus leaving more time for the Etoudi, Zoétélé and Bangangté teams to get game-ready. The shield, which has been held by Etoudi since 2018, will be put back into play, and the teams just can’t wait!

This year, we are honoured to have Société Générale Cameroun by our side as the Title Sponsor of the Tournament. We would like to warmly thank them for their generous support.

Three companies and one association have also agreed to sponsor us for this tournament which is very close to the heart of our young rugby players: : Groupe SABC whom we thank for their drinks during the Tournament, Cameroon Motors Industries (CAMI), AXA Cameroun whom we thank for the food during the Tournament and Recycling Rugby, the French operation which recycles rugby balls into bags, purses…  It is a pleasure to see the enthusiasm of companies, established for many years on the red soil, for rugby and our actions in favour of underprivileged children.

A big thank you to our five Sponsors for their support without which this edition could not have been organised.

We therefore give you an appointment on Saturday 30 October to support our rugby players at the Lycée Classique of Bangangté stadium or online, on our social networks!

 

Translation: Katy Birge-Wilson

Event: The SBA, a solidarity partner of the Anglet Beach Rugby Festival

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The Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) was this year, once again, thrust into the limelight during the Anglet Beach Rugby Festival which was held on the Plage des Sables d’Or in Anglet on 23-24-25 July. On the occasion of this special “African rugby” edition, a team of ace volunteers held the stand of SBA goodies and Confections signed by Recycling Rugby. A raffle was even organised this year on our stand.

Serge Betsen attended the Festival on Saturday and Sunday. He had the pleasure to meet up the staff of the Festival, spend time with the volunteers of our stand, follow with interest the different matches on the sand, meet players and spectators, visit the stands and play rugby with the French Legends.

Our President, Serge Betsen along with the SBA warmly thank all the buyers who supported us, the curious who came to learn more about our mission, our volunteers for their enthusiasm and the Anglet Beach Rugby Festival team for their invitation and their donation of £1702 (2000€).

See you all next year!

Serge Betsen and the SBA X Recycling Rugby volunteers

SBA X Recycling Rugby Stand

French Legends team

Donation from the Anglet Beach Rugby Festival

Fundraising: The International School of Toulouse supports the Serge Betsen Academy

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The entire Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) would like to thank the management of the International School of Toulouse, its students from classes ranging from Early Years (maternelle) to G5 (CM2) and their families for their support.

Their end of school year cross-country racing which took place on Monday 21 June was an opportunity to collect rugby balls and raise £172 (201€) for the SBA. The balls will be recycled into bags and pouches of all kinds by our partner, Recycling Rugby. As for the sum of £172, it will fund after-rugby-training snacks for all our centres in Cameroon and Mali for the two summer months.

The management’s choice went to the SBA for two major reasons. As part of a sports week, the school wanted to support an association which had links to sports, and as you know, we love rugby. Moreover, as the school is engaged in an eco-citizen project, the management wanted to make the children aware of the many ways of recycling – in this case the recycling of sports equipment, through Recycling Rugby. We are delighted to have been the happy beneficiary of this united and green approach that we can but only applaud.

Thank you everyone!

And for those of you who wish to order a pencil case, a bag, a wallet, a purse, a toilet bag… made from recycled balls: just go to the Recycling Rugby Facebook page or the Recycling Rugby Instagram account pending the launch of the website which will arrive shortly.

Translation : Katy Birge-Wilson

Partnership: Recycling Rugby, the recycling operation that transforms old rugby balls into bags and pouches of all kinds is growing!

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Recycling Rugby is now a fully-fledged association which is no longer directly attached to the Sports Association of the Denis Diderot College of Massy.

However, the close links with the Diderot College continue to the extent that management and students are still directly involved in the operation. We warmly thank them for their support, without which Recycling Rugby could have not taken off!

100% of the profits from the operation will always be donated to the Serge Betsen Academy (except for exceptional operations which would be announced on their network).

We would like to thank all of you for your charity purchases, the benefits of which have generated a donation of £55,000 (64,000€) in 5 years for the SBA!

To order, just private message Recycling Rugby on their Facebook page. Father’s Day can be a great occasion to make someone happy while doing a good deed.

 

We take this opportunity to thank Lionel and Margaux from the Recycling Rugby team for their great work and also all the volunteers involved in the operation.

 

Translation: Katy Birge-Wilson