A BELGIAN IN AFRICA

Diego Lacroix teaches rugby at local schools in Africa. Originally from Brussels, the 28-year-old rugby player volunteers for the UK-based charity foundation Bhubesi Pride for four weeks in April and May this year.

“We are starting a new club, Brussels citizens rugby, this year and the long-term goal is to not only play rugby, but to contribute also to a charitable cause. Last December, I was searching the internet for some ideas of how we can make a positive impact on our community and soon I came across Bhubesi Pride. I immediately fell in love with the project and applied right away to join the expedition”, says Diego who started playing rugby at boarding school at the age of 15.

The impact that Bhubesi Pride has had over the last years on local communities and children all over Africa has impressed him the most and was the main reason why he wanted to be part of the Pride’s coaching team. But also seeing Africa from a different perspective, not like a tourist, was a unique opportunity that he did not want to miss.

Diego arrived in Malawi in late April, after an 18-hour trip that had him fly from Brussels to Rome to Addis Abeba and, finally, to Lilongwe.

“To be honest, I did not quite know what to expect. But my new colleagues made me feel welcome. We had some beers and watched the Heineken Cup and I immediately felt at home !” says the former Boitsfort and Leuven player with a smile.

Two days later, Diego found himself on a rugby pitch in the outskirts of Lilongwe, surrounded by 30 children who had never played the game before.

“I admit I was a bit anxious. I do not have lots of coaching experience and on top of that there was the language barrier. But soon I was in my element, largely because of the great support from my fellow coaches Liz and Leanne who gave me lots of great tips.Over the course of the first five days, I became more confident in dealing with the enthusiastic young rugby players and I learned how to structure my coaching sessions and plan ahead to ensure my lessons are fun and purposeful. By the end of the week I already felt like a pro and I can hardly wait to start our next coaching week in Zambia”, explains Diego who is a big fan of All Blacks captain Richie MacCaw.

Find out more about Bhubesi Pride at www.rugbyinafrica.org, apply for next year’s expedition here : http://rugbyinafrica.org/about/apply-to-join-us/ and like the Pride on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bhubesi.pride.official?notif_t=fbpage_admin


(Photos D.R.)