CURUFC are delighted to announce that they will be working in partnership with UMRio in order to support their work in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The UMRio project is intended to promote peace, leadership and inclusion through rugby and education. Over the past 3 years, UMRio has provided a rare safe space of hope and encouragement for over 300 young people in Morro do Castro (an isolated favela in São Gonçalo - RJ) where they can access new opportunities, develop and pursue aspirations, and build confidence in their own identities. A short video outlining the project can be viewed here, with an England Rugby article also appearing in March 2016.
The project was founded by Oxford University graduate Robert Malengreau, cousin of CURUFC Blue Juliano Fiori (2007), who recently represented Brazil at the Olympics. UMRio have a longstanding relationship with OURFC, having sent several student volunteers over recent years to work on the project, including Blues Henry Hughes and Will Wilson. CURUFC is looking forward to providing similar opportunities to its own players.