- Title: ARGENTINA-RUGBY-PEACE Giant rugby peace 'scrum' held in downtown Buenos Aires
- Date: 10th September 2014
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE STUDENT, ALEX MORGAN, SAYING: "The scrum is something done in rugby where the person who pushes hardest can grab the ball and in this sense it has to do with pushing for something, in this case, as you can see behind me, it's for peace, for solidarity and for many other things. This is the main message, to push for peace." VARIOUS OF OLIVE T
- Embargoed: 25th September 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8VIWXUO90BWC1K6EHK6OUOGEU
- Story Text: People gathered in downtown Buenos Aires Wednesday (September 10) to participate in a giant rugby 'scrum' for peace.
The event was organized by Rugby Without Borders, a local organization that aims to promote peace and understanding through rugby values such as respect, teamwork and solidarity. Argentine native Pope Francis has given his blessing to the movement.
Students and adults teamed up in Plaza de Mayo located in downtown Buenos Aires right in front of the city's cathedral where Pope Francis himself used to lead mass when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires before ascending to the papacy in March, 2013.
Student Alex Morgan said the massive scrum was organized for high-minded purposes.
"The scrum is something done in rugby where the person who pushes hardest can grab the ball and in this sense it has to do with pushing for something, in this case, as you can see behind me, it's for peace, for solidarity and for many other things. This is the main message, to push for peace," he said.
Event participants also took the opportunity to water an olive tree that was planted in the plaza by Pope Francis, then Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, back in 2000.
Rugby Without Borders president Juan Bautista Segonds agreed and said students had come together for noble causes.
"The students proposed the things that they wanted to push for so we are pushing for transparency, for respect, for teamwork. And in some way we are following the orders of the captain, Francisco that tells us to make a 'scene', to not 'fall apart', and to rescue the youth and I believe that today from these proposals to embrace and push for the same objective is how we can recover the society that we want to see," said Bautista Segonds.
The peace scrum wrapped up with a performance by local Catholic rock group "Father Cesar's Band', headed by priest César Scicchitano.
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