Sports For All: Land Rover supports youth rugby

Lawrence Dallaglio, Rugby World Cup winner and Land Rover Global Ambassador, lifts Chinese youth rugby to new heights. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Rugby's most prestigious prize, the Webb Ellis Cup, was in Shanghai for two days as part of the Rugby World Cup trophy tour. The famous trophy's appearance at the Shanghai Rugby Football Club was backed by British car manufacturer Land Rover. The car brand is a worldwide partner of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and a driving force behind the increase in popularity of rugby among young people in China.

At the Shanghai event, Rugby World Cup winner and Land Rover Global Ambassador Lawrence Dallaglio shared his rugby experiences and stories and explained what the game meant to him.

Rugby requires great power, agility and dynamism, which are characteristics that define the Land Rover brand and its series of rugged all-terrain vehicles. Land Rover's philosophy is built around embracing life's toughest challenges and the company has tackled rugby at every level for the past 20 years, from the pinnacle of the 2015 World Cup down to entry level games in China.

Rugby in China grew in popularity following the announcement that rugby sevens would be part of the 2016 Olympic Games. To build on this, Jaguar Land Rover started its Land Rover China Youth Rugby Development Program to promote the sport across the country.

The program, which is a key part of Jaguar Land Rover China's CSR agenda, was designed to cultivate a passion for sports among young people, as well as promote the values of respect and hard work and the development of a positive attitude towards life through rugby.

Children get stuck in at the Shanghai Rugby Football Club on Dec 11.[Photo provided to China Daily]