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Viva Blues

20th March 2007


The EDF Energy Cup Semi Final between the Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys has caught the imagination of rugby fans not only in Wales but from afar a field as Mexico.

A group of schoolchildren from the Greengates international school in Mexico City will be at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Blues.

The visit to the UK has been organised by teacher Gary Paterson who is also in charge of coaching the Under 16 team. Although keen to play the 15 a side game due to the lack of players and teams in Mexico they normally have to play anything between 5 and 13 a side, while the pitch on which they train has large trees in the dead ball area and there is no gap between the touchlines and the concrete path. The team consists of mainly Mexicans but also has a few Chileans, a Brasilian, a Frenchman, a Cypriot and an American to make it a truly international side.

Nineteen of the boys are travelling over and all have spent the last 8 months fundraising for the trip. As well as writing to the embassies of several of the larger rugby playing nations requesting donations the boys also produced a trendy calendar which enabled them to purchase rugby shirts for the trip.

Speaking ahead of the trip Gary Paterson said: “Coming to the Millennium Stadium is a dream come true for these boys as most have never seen a live game of 15-a-side rugby let alone one of this quality. We’d like to thank everyone at the Cardiff Blues for making it possible.”