Out of Africa
Twelve months ago an email was sent to the Ugandan Rugby Union asking if they could identify a boy who would benefit from playing rugby in New Zealand. Not surprisingly the URU responded rapidly with an emphatic yes. In September 2008 Mark Ocwich, who attends St. Mary's College in Entebbe, which is just outside the Ugandan capital Kampala, was interviewed and - to the delight of the local media - was awarded a six month scholarship to St. Bede's College. Headlines like "Blacks Want Ocwich" adorned the sports pages for several days. Having arrived in New Zealand in March 2009, Mark would be the first to say that initially he found the pace of the game here difficult to adjust to. However, undaunted, he persisted in his new environment and, with the help of the St. Bede's coaching staff and the support of Mark Ealey, who has been instrumental in organising his trip, the young Ugandan has made huge strides. So much so that he is now a member of the St. Bede's Press Cup Squad, which is in with a good chance of making the National Top Four competition at the end of the season. In addition to improving his own game, the big picture is that Mark Ocwich is expected to take what he has learned back to Uganda with him in September and use that knowledge to benefit Ugandan rugby. Locationhttp://www.crfu.co.nz/main/index.cfm/1,538,3026,html Copyright © CRFU 2013 |
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