In a dazzling celebration of global rugby talent and local resilience, the Rugby Premier League (RPL) united stars from across the world, from Fiji to Uganda, Canada to New Zealand. But for The Atlas Foundation, the most moving victories came not just from the scoreboard, but from the stories of ten young men who embody the heart of what we stand for: inclusion, opportunity, and the power of sport to lift lives out of poverty.
Akash, Arjun, Arpan, Karan, Nayan, Rajdeep, Sumit, Shakti and Sukumar, hailing from some of the most underserved communities in India, joined the RPL as role models and rising leaders. Alongside them was Vinay and Ashfaque from the tournament’s officials team. All of them products of Khelo Rugby, a programme run by Future Hope in Kolkata and proudly supported by Atlas Asia.
In communities where education is often out of reach and the future feels uncertain, Khelo Rugby offers children the tools and inspiration to believe in a better tomorrow. Through regular rugby sessions, Khelo Rugby builds trust with young people and opens doors to education and employment. Crucially, it empowers them to become leaders, just as our ten RPL stars have.
In recent years, the impact has been undeniable. Operating in over 30 communities, Khelo Rugby has increased graduation rates from 18% to 80%, helped reduce child marriage and school dropouts by 85%, and ensured that 20 young people, most of them the first in their village, are now attending university. Today, over 3,000 children benefit from the programme each month.
Building on this success, Atlas and Khelo Rugby recently launched an education pilot project with Studycat, offering English-language learning through tablet-based pop-up classrooms. These digital lessons, funded by the Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund, are helping bridge the digital divide and offering children a vital skill that unlocks access to higher education and employment.
The RPL gave the world a glimpse of what these young players are capable of, but for Akash, Arjun, and their teammates, this is just the beginning. From the narrow lanes of Kolkata’s slums to centre stage in an international rugby tournament, they are proving that where you start in life should never determine where you finish.
