People of Georgian: Rugby teaches international student life lessons
May 23, 2024
To highlight some of ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ’s 130+ programs, we’re re-sharing some of our past People of ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵfeatures of alumni throughout the month of May. Meet Rahal Delpachitra, an alumnus of Georgian’s Business Administration – Human Resources program and former member of the college’s varsity rugby team.
What’s your story?
The ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵcommunity is full of unique, inspiring perspectives —and we’re sharing them as part of an ongoing series.
People of Georgian: Meet Rahal Delpachitra
I’ve been playing rugby since I was 11 years old.
My two brothers played rugby, too, and my whole family’s into rugby.
‘Why not give it a try?’
It’s a popular sport back home in Sri Lanka. You can play semi-pro kind of level over there.
Before I came to Georgian, I sent a video clip of myself playing to John Daggett, Georgian’s former varsity rugby head coach.
He’s a nice guy and responded, telling me to let him know when I landed in Canada.
But when I got here, I was not going to try out. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to balance my school stuff with rugby.
My brothers encouraged me to go and try out, along with John and others. I had read about rugby at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵand how they had a pretty good record, so I thought, “Why not give it a try?â€
Rugby instills life lessons on and off the field
I made the team, and since then, rugby has taught me most of my values, like how to play within a team sport, and how to work with people and understand them.
It instilled discipline. Being an athlete, you live a certain way. You can’t, like, party and stuff every day.
Rugby taught me how to be committed to achieving a goal.
Also, rugby has helped me have a positive attitude and be mentally strong.
If you’re starting at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵor any college, I would say don’t just focus on studies. Do stuff that outside your comfort zone, too, so you can get the full ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵstudent experience.
Don’t be restricted to just living a normal life.
Rugby also taught me how to balance my school, work, sports and life. So if you know you’re good at something else outside of school, give it a try.
Rugby was – and still is – a big part of my life, and I have so many people to thank, like my coaches and teachers, who supported me every step of the way.
Rahal Delpachitra, student in Georgian’s Business Administration – Human Resources program and a member of the college’s varsity rugby team.