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The Second part of a fantastic overview of the rich rugby history of Bolivian Rugby. JENECHERU, SANTA CRUZ Y UNIVERSITARIO: THE PIONEERS
Martín and Claudio Alcorta, Sergio Vitale, Guillermo Griet and Miguel de Bassols, all from Tucumán, with the help from a Bolivian student, Nicolás Rodríguez, decided to start a rugby club with scheduled trainings and to teach rugby to Bolivians willing to learn. The aim: bring rugby up in the last South American country where the sport had landed. It was on November 11th 2004 when the first rugby club in Bolivia, Jenecherú was born. The name derives from a guaraní expression which stands for: "the flame will never put out". The first trainings had 12 argentines, 6 intrepid Bolivians and ocasionally an Uruguayan or Chilean. "I was a University teacher", points out Guillermo, "I tempted my students with anecdotes and stories while drawing on the board. Many came around, but most of them abandoned after the first session. Growth was slower than expected". As a consequence, the Argentines thought adapting rugby to a Bolivian style, but after a few practices, they realised that Bolivians should adapt to rugby: strict discipline, hard training, to fall and being tackled, sharing with and living for your mate, would be a must to bring up true rugby men. Guillermo, with 11 years of experience training kids in Lawn Tennis, dedicated to transmit the spirit and the sport rules. "I teach them the purest rugby, no tricks, the one my dad introduced me to, the Gentlemen's game". Bolivians learnt fast, at the same rhythm, the Argentines were getting injured. In parallel, 460 km. and an 11-hours ride from Santa Cruz, Juan Carlos 'Pilo' Anaya, with the huge support from Pipo Viale, CONSUR's Development Officer by the time, put rugby's first gear in Bolivia's geographic center during January, establishing the first club in Cochabamba by the name of Universitario. Juan Carlos, a Bolivian that had Rugby virus transmitted to him counted reckons that by February, Universitario had 29 players, 90% among them Bolivians, after an important campaign in Public and Private Universities. The first session was held in a northern park, next to a football pitch occupied by children. Pilo Anaya remembers: "We had a couple players injured, not because of the tackles but the pitch state. It was frustrating and funny to see that none of the guys were able to properly kick that oval ball. I tried to remember my first matches at school, with changed rules and what a mate from Argentina had taught us, very different to what I discovered in France back in 2001". I thank to every single soul that went to that first training. Many didn't come back but without them, this wouldn't have been possible". There was a long wait in Cochabamba to receive a 10 ball pack, nowadays almost done, from CONSUR. By the time, a very well-known Argentine directive, recommended them to use plastic bottles instead of balls upon their arrival. "We preferred to take it as a joke", explains Pilo. "Then we considered multiple possibilities to replace the ball: watermelons, papayas, even fried chicken, then we would have our tercer tiempo ready before even finishing". Obvious sarcasm in reply to that insolent proposal, arise from the idea that they were planning a serious and formal Project, a fact that many Argentine directives don't please to understand. The basics were just required to get the interest of the Bolivian rugby community. A long hard way, but they wanted to try.
TRIES IN CAMBA'S LANDS After big publicity, on April 2nd 2005, the first official match was a confrontation between Jenecherú and Zenta RC from Orán, Salta. 67-7 in favour of Zenta was the merely anecdotical score in Club Hípico. Being the aim to give continuity and forge competition, a group from Jenecherú founded Santa Cruz RC. Its debut, dressed in green, black and white against the guys in black and red, was in June of the same year. In consecutive months, the teams played 4 matches, all of them going to Santa Cruz RC by 26-7, 5-0, 24-10 and 52-0. Those matches were marked by the amateur, friendly spirit between the groups. The last weekend of October, Santa Cruz RC organised the first Cross-Border tournament in home soil, the tournament's name: Copa Bolivia. It was a 9 brief time matches affair in one day, with the crowd entrance being food or cloth to donate to an NGO. The two teams from Santa Cruz participated as well as Los Perales RC, Tartagal RC and Jockey Club from Argentina with Corumbá RC from Brazil completing and being divided in 2 groups of 3 with finals for every trophy.
On the other hand, back in Cochabamba, the club population had dimished due to educational activities from his members. However, 4 of them played in the tournament to complete Corumbá's team. A welcomed unexpected visit came from Venezuela's National Team who, in the road to South American B championship in Asunción, got stranded in Cochabamba during 3 days, that were useful for the locals to interchange points of view, shirts and a few beers.
During 2005, refereeing and coaching clinics were conducted by CONSUR's officers but we all had to wait until next year to follow on.
LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE ONGOING ISSUES It was April 2006 when with new players and after Pipo Viale achieved to re-transmit the essence and spirit of the game that Universitario could kick off for the first time, in Cochabamba, against Jenecherú RC. Technique was scarce but desire was overflowing. Anaya takes us back in time: "Our boys had suffered tackles over and over again and pull rucks down very often, but we've to consider that we made 4 substitutions for the 2nd half while they did 15. We lost, but we celebrated as if we'd have won. All the players help for the uniform, tercer tiempo and the field, we even lost many shirts because the material wasn't the proper one and we under budgeted the tercer tiempo. Therefore, we put money from our pockets, but the gratitude to share and satisfaction coming from well done things justify everything". Universitario was supported by Chileans with some experience on Sevens, Beach or 15's rugby. We received unexperienced Brazilians and guys from Australia, New Zealand, England and France that practised with us and support our cause even if they stay in Bolivia for a few weeks or a couple of months. We know that they're in their countries of origin, in attention to our needs and trying to help in some way to improve the conditions down here". While Santa Cruz has ideal soil and weather to practise rugby, in Cochabamba things are harder. Pilo explains us that, while the sport stays unfederated, they won't get access to sporting facilities. This unchained with the state of the pitch we've aforementioned: "We're not sure if this wasn't a test field for the Navy. There are many holes and irregularities, but we've learnt to take advantage of it by strengthen our ankles. We've to know it by heart because the lack of light between 8 and 10 pm, the time when we train. At the end, it's good to know that the football pitch next to ours, is nowadays, our home". An issue linked more the form than to the substance has to be with idiosyncrasy. Guillermo Griet posed the dificulties he faced in Jenecherú. Pilo supports his opinion: "Introducing a new mentality in Cochabamba's lifestyle, even with food and sports habits is complicated. We like sport, but we often like to get to the pitch and play a "pinchanguita", a little match to sweat but with no formalities involved without strict training or discipline". From Santa Cruz, Martín Acosta and Pablo Lavezzo agree as well on the inconsistence: "20 players come up in the first practice and only 3 stay. We should check where it's our fail and develop in some or other way an sporting culture", points out Martín. "Some of the boys had come up with willingness to learn, some others have moved further away due to the aggressiveness from some players during Santa Cruz teams' clashes and we finish with big disputes regarding coaching". As expressed by the interviewed, the major issue to solve in Bolivian rugby nowadays is to make a decision and take the sport through a way that will not confuse rivalry with enmity, spreading with division. The complete understanding of every noun is the key to advance and to comprehend that rugby needs confidence between its members, even when they're dressing other colours. If a member is tackled, 14 will go and help him, but respecting the flags of good behaviour and respect for your team mates and your opposition. Guillermo explains "During two years, we only had Santa Cruz and Jenecherú, therefore the rivalry grew. It was hard to control, especially with the players that had less rugby life and self control. Often these 'derbies' became a pitched battle, that not only ruined the aim to teach but scare away the crowds". Martín adds: "The rivalry does exist, but it has turned in enmity, forged by the older and transmitted to the younger ones. They live and feel rugby in different ways, but both fall in the situation that hinder them to grow as an institution, seeing the straw in the other's eye and not the rafter in their own. We're here to teach and spread, not to feature in the front page and feeling like a Puma". Pablo says: "I recognise that, as a directive, I had issues handling the rivalry and I'm worried about that. Aggressiveness happens due to the older ones, we're failing there. We've to focus on the fact that there are no excuses to assault, that we talk about a rugby pitch not a boxing ring. We should play with loyalty. In the end all the parts finished harmed and that leads to no new and actual kids and no sponsors. Martín follows on: "We have to settle the ciments, let the vanity and distrust aside and play tug on war in the same team. We should capture kids, establish clubs, and have newcomers to have fun. This is sport, not a war we're talking about. We should widespread together and compete in a friendly way". Pablo finishes: "Solidarity, respect, honesty, camaraderie are keys to promote our rugby and raise good persons". Guillermo concludes: "Rivalry continues, but for instance, as referees we will transmit right values. Nowadays matches are nice to see though we've to keep on working. First of all, to grow, we don't need fame, help from the IRB or CONSUR, neither an Union nor a national representative. Bolivia need older rugbiers to focus in coaching, teaching new kids and to have at least 100 kids in every club playing the best of the sports. This way we wouldn't have to worry and preview our future, because we'd have already invented it". |
