Gavin Varejes Helps Underprivileged Athletes

Young Players Heading to Monaco for an International Rugby Tournament

Industry leaders like Cell C and Richmark Holdings CEO Gavin Varejes have been actively involved in sports development and community upliftment in South Africa for many years. There is no lack of local talent in the country and with the right support, the sky is the limit for young athletes, no matter what background they come from. In a recent project the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation was asked to work with Cell C and the Monaco Rugby Foundation to bring a fantastic opportunity to a team of underprivileged youths. The project involved taking these sports loving youngsters to Monaco to celebrate their rugby skills at an international children and youth sevens tournament named Sainte Dévote. The tournament has been running for 6 years with the aim of spreading the values of comradery, cooperation, fairness and giving, and hosts young teams from all over the world. Aside from giving an eager group of young Rugby players an exciting opportunity to play, Sainte Dévote is also a chance to learn about different cultures, gain new perspectives and achieve unprecedented personal development. The tournament is scheduled for the 7th of March 2017 and is expected to be a tremendous success.

Gavin Varejes – Committed to South African Sport

Known for his passion for sport and his devotion to its development on a national level, Gavin Varejes is also a firm believer in its many social and emotional benefits for individuals and communities alike. His involvement in the industry has shown him that through participation in team sports, players develop important values like solidarity, good sportsmanship and team spirit while also enjoying the game. Varejes spoke about the young athletes who were selected to go to Monaco and how they will greatly benefit from the tournament. He hopes and believes that the event will inspire them to succeed even further, whether on the playing field or not. Varejes is grateful to the headline sponsor Cell C for their generous contribution towards the project. Without corporate sponsorship it would not have been possible to see the project through to completion. CEO of SARLA Stefan Terblanche is also anticipating the event with great enthusiasm and stated that this project is in line with what SARLA is trying to achieve – turning the dreams of rugby-loving youngsters into reality.

SARLA

The South African Rugby Legends Association represents the ‘Legends’, who are some of the top retired rugby players in the country and other individuals who have contributed to the game of rugby. Legends facilitate coaching clinics in disadvantaged areas and arrange several events, tours and functions every year. One of SARLA’s main projects is ‘Vuka’, which is a grassroots program that involves helping roughly 2200 youths from underprivileged areas in the Cape Province improve their rugby skills by receiving regular training from qualified coaches and participating in tournaments. The idea behind this initiative is to help participants with their personal development, empower them and equip them for a better future through the game, its values and the challenges it brings forth. Vuka is endorsed by SARU and is developed for long-term sustainability.