In the middle of a large soccer field in Havana, a dozen Cuban children crowd around a rugby ball. It is an image that contrasts with a group of young people who, just a few meters away, are playing baseball.
It’s out of place, but it’s also exciting. At least that’s what Joel Guillén, the first Cuban to play professionally in Europe and who currently coaches a second division team in France, believes.
In an interview with EFE, Guillén, 30, says that he does not believe it is a “utopia” that one day the island will also be a rugby country.
“It can be done. You simply need to dedicate time and continuity to it,” says Guillen.
Its presence at the Eduardo Saborit stadium in Havana is part of an international project that seeks, sooner rather than later, for the island to form a top-level national rugby team.
This week Guillén has led a series of practices and talks with Cuban youth and coaches seeking training in the sport.
It is all part of a cooperation program of the French embassy in Cuba and the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder).
“The objective is to create an academy for boys and girls from six to 16 years old. It has a focus on inclusion and gender, because another of its main objectives is to attract girls to this sport,” he points out. EFE Philippe Benassi, attaché of University and Scientific Cooperation of the French embassy in Cuba.
Another goal will be to attract talent to develop it in France. Despite there being no rugby tradition on the island, the initial pool is young people who were already developing in other sports, especially handball.
“(Cuba) is a country that has historically high-level athletes. We have that sports culture here and when we even see the children or young people who come to train, we see potential in them,” argues Guillén, who emigrated to Spain when he was a child.
The Spanish-Cuban came to the sport as a coincidence, but it was love at first sight. “I have always been very curious about contact sports. And once a teacher called me and said: ‘Why don’t you try judo or rugby?’. At that time, the truth is that it was an unknown sport for me. I started researching and watching games and I fell in love,” he recalled.
So far, the project in Cuba has 75 players from six to 16 years old, with 36 girls. The goal of the French and island authorities is for the number to reach one hundred.
