To mark International Women’s Day, Champion for Peace Jean-François Tordo supported by Peace and Sport is organizing an international rugby tournament on 17 March , giving young Malagasy people the opportunity to play against teams from France, the United Kingdom, Kenya and South Africa.

Jean-François Tordo, through Pachamama Association, invites 30,000 women and children to watch the tournament and join in the awareness-raising activities planned for the occasion. Two Malagasy teams will be composed, enabling girls from remote outlying villages to take part in this unique event. Four other nations will be invited to play against them, and to patriciate in side activities aiming to inform and entertain the participants.

Jean-François Tordo, Champion for Peace and former Captain of the French National Rugby Team:

“Rugby is an amazing means of delivering new sporting and social opportunities to women and children. Sport makes it possible to bring people together through solidarity that knows no limits, made up of courage, humility, respect and joie de vivre. We’re delighted to host this event.”

All money raised by the initiative will be used to build a new medical centre, scheduled to open in 2019. Over the past years, Pachamama has actively contributed to improve living conditions in Madagascar in partnership. Pachamama has chosen rugby to convey the sporting values of education and social interaction, which enable young people to blossom, become accountable and to assert themselves. In turn, this gives them the motivation to continue their studies and, in the long term, to become responsible for developing their country.