Miles apart but close to the heart - Kyrgyz sharing Welsh rugby passion

The Kyrgyzstan Rugby Federation became an associate member of World Rugby in 2004

Llandaff RFC are used to playing the likes of Canton and Fairwater, but they recently welcomed the visit of the Kyrgyzstan national team.

The Cardiff-based side were narrow 38-36 winners in a friendly but competitive encounter, which concluded the visitors' one-week tour of the Welsh capital.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has been working closely with the UK embassy in Kyrgyzstan over the past 18 months to help grow Kyrgyz rugby on and off the pitch.

Ambassador Nicholas Bowler believes the visit was an important "next step".

"The sport is really getting off the ground in Kyrgyzstan," he said.

"We brought some WRU coaches out to the capital of Bishkek last year, they had a great time coaching the national team and school children.

"The week that the Kyrgyz team have spent here at Llandaff RFC, as well as using the facilities and training at Cardiff Arms Park is the next step in this growing partnership. The players and officials have loved the experience."

During the visit, which was funded by the Kyrgyzstan government, the group toured the Principality Stadium as well as the WRU National Centre of Excellence.

"The coaches from the Cardiff Rugby Foundation and the WRU have been outstanding, they’ve focused on developing skills, fitness and a higher degree of understanding the game," added Bowler.

"What we hope next on the rugby side is that we’ll be able to continue to help the Kyrgyz Rugby Federation (KRF) grow the sport.

"This sits in as part of a bigger picture and a bigger effort to improve the diplomatic partnership between the countries."

The president of the Kyrgyzstan Rugby Federation, Nurgazy Kuldzhaev, is pictured with Greg Woods, participation programmes manager at World Rugby

The president of the KRF, Nurgazy Kuldzhaev, said the visit had been a "great experience".

Kuldzhaev, who is a volunteer, was an essential part in helping the WRU and the UK embassy make the visit possible.

"Before in Kyrgyzstan, rugby was a sport only played by the military. I served in the military for over 35 years and that’s where my passion for rugby started, it’s only continued to grow as I’ve got older," said Kuldzhaev.

"It’s a great honour to come and be able to play in Wales, especially when you focus on rugby, there’s so much that we’re going to take back from our visit.

The Federation has already seen great strides in development, especially in the female game.

Gulsara Raiimzhonova comes from the Kyrgyzstan city of Osh.

"I thought it would be fun to try and now I’ve been playing for over a year, I really enjoy playing," she said.

"In the future I would like to have a career in coaching, I’d like to be a coach in the schools or universities. I want to try and help girls come into the sport and continue to see it grow."

Greg Woods, participation programmes manager at World Rugby, attended the friendly game at Llandaff on 15 August.

"This is fantastic to see for us at World Rugby, we had the invite from both unions to come down. Just seeing the level of sharing and the experiences that all the players are having is just fantastic for the growth of rugby," Woods said.

"I see it as a benefit for all involved, it’s a benefit for Kyrgyzstan, all the players, coaches and the officials that come with them.

"Hopefully, they’ll be able to take what they’ve learned back to Kyrgyzstan and implement it there and improve their rugby development.

"We believe that sharing is a hugely important value that can benefit all, to see that in action has been amazing."