“I wanted to meet friends who play rugby.” Dreamers from home and abroad gathered! A “real rugby” festival born from OK Financial Group’s generous full-funding support [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Domestic and international rugby dreamers who wanted to learn and improve their skills gathered under OK Financial Group’s generous support.

The OK Outman Rugby Team (OK Rugby Team) launched the two-night, three-day “3rd OK Outman Rugby Academy <Ready to Meet Real Rugby?>” (hereinafter referred to as the Rugby Academy) on the 15th at Hanall Global Campus in Cheongna-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City.

The OK Outman Rugby Academy is a talent development program designed for student athletes who will lead the future of Korean rugby to enhance their skills through systematic training while naturally internalizing values of perseverance, cooperation, and sacrifice, as well as the “No-Side spirit” of respecting opponents after matches. Beyond techniques and tactics, the academy’s main purpose is to convey the authenticity, roots, and No-Side spirit of Korean rugby.

With over 150 student athletes from 11 domestic middle schools and sports clubs, including Dubai Tigers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the program welcomed participants with an even richer lineup than last year.

Over two nights and three days, student athletes received training in passes, kicks, tackles, and contact techniques, along with education on rugby rules, injury prevention, and nutrition. They also had opportunities to converse with current OK Outman Rugby Team players and played actual matches on the final day.

Participation fees were fully covered. OK Financial Group made this generous decision to support the expansion of rugby’s base in Korea and the growth of student athletes. Additionally, Hummel Korea and Dong-A Otsuka contributed 10 million won worth of supplies.

Kwon Chul-geun, head of the OK Financial Group Sports Team, welcomed participants at the opening ceremony: “Last year around this time, I worried whether the rugby academy would truly benefit the students. Fortunately, thanks to valuable feedback from the coaches who joined us, we were able to refine this year’s program in greater detail. We are grateful to all players and coaches who traveled from afar again this year.”

This year, general students interested in rugby Gyeong Heom-i (EVP) also participated, gaining insights into the sport. On the first day, participants learned basic skills and rugby rules, followed by recreational activities using rugby balls to familiarize themselves with the game itself.

In the morning, a session was held in the gymnasium to explain the origins of rugby and its most fundamental rules in an easy-to-understand manner for middle school students in grades 1 and 2. The reasons why student athletes encountered rugby varied across Korea. Some became interested through popular OTT rugby variety programs, while others joined out of curiosity after being encouraged by friends or family.

The rugby rule education session was led by Seo In-soo, currently serving as a permanent referee for the Korean Olympic Committee Rugby Division, and Seo Bo-hee, a former women’s national rugby team player who is now a permanent referee and coach.

Using videos to introduce rugby’s origins and rules, the session engaged students with quizzes. Students’ eyes lit up when learning that rugby began accidentally during soccer matches when players started carrying the ball by hand, and that its rules were established early, making it older than soccer.

Park Jong-jin (13, Baejae Middle School), who has been playing rugby for less than a month, expressed satisfaction: “I wanted to understand the overall rugby rules. Although I was new here, the instructors taught the rules very well and even explained detailed aspects, making it fun. The interactive teaching style kept us engaged, which was great.”

At the same time, basic skill training for rugby was underway on the field. Players from the OK Outman Rugby Team and coaches and managers gathered from across the country engaged in continuous communication with the student athletes.

Kang Dong-woo (14, Baejae Middle School) is a case study of a promising player who joined this academy last year and grew into one of the nation’s top prospects within a year. Kang Dong-woo said: “Last year, I learned the rules here, which made rugby much more enjoyable. This year, I focused on kicking and learned many detailed techniques like my personal impact, making it even more fun.”

The central theme of this year’s OK Outman Rugby Academy was “Real Rugby.” The goal was for student athletes to unite through the sport. Team Head Kwon Chul-geun stated: “We chose ‘Real Rugby’ as this academy’s theme because we hope students will discover what true rugby means while interacting with each other, whether through skills or rules. Even if they don’t play rugby, I hope today’s gathering becomes a starting point for their social lives. We want them to learn how to behave among diverse people within the framework of rules.”

Student reactions were equally enthusiastic. Park Jong-jin said: “It’s easy to meet friends who play baseball, soccer, or basketball at school, but there aren’t many rugby players, so I was curious. Meeting everyone in one place like this is entirely new.” He added with a smile: “I’m most looking forward to the rugby festival on the final day. I want to showcase my skills as much as possible during the actual matches based on what I’ve learned over these two days.”

Kang Dong-woo, participating for the second time, also shared: “Playing rugby together makes it easier to find conversation topics. Last year, we explored and analyzed each other’s team strengths, which helped us become very close.” He smiled and added: “(Park) Jong-jin should get to know friends and seniors from other teams too. Since our senior players are excellent teachers, ask them many questions and make their knowledge your own as much as possible.”

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