We love to see communities and cultures integrate here at Bee Outdoors and one of the most common ways that we see society do this is through the medium of sport. Whilst not the biggest football fan I love nothing more than to see two cultures battle it out for 90 minutes using a small ball as a common language.

Whilst studying a few years back, I spent a summer at Ardingly, running activities for foreign students that were in the county to learn English. For many of the Spanish, French, Georgian and Saudi Arabian students, their only way of communicating with each other was through broken English (many seemed to have little interest for the lingo) and via their love of ‘the beautiful game’. Most became close friends through this and I am confident still stay in contact through this introduction on the white lined grasses of West Sussex.

Using rugby as a commonality is a bit more difficult, it has more rules than any other sport, and is played by a significantly lesser volume of people. Clutching last-minute tickets to Tonga v Georgia in one of the opening games of the world cup at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, I was unsure of what to expect. Two teams, not famed for being decorated egg-chasing powerhouses, made me wonder if this would be a low quality game of mere grunting and fumbling?

Approaching the stadium, a buzz began to fill the air, the stadium was due to be at capacity, therefore the 16,500 approaching fans alone provided a good atmosphere. Turning onto the road in front of the stadium, we were greeted with what seemed to be a carnival. A steel band, swing dancers, a ukulele band and plenty of smiley volunteers helped us glide into stadium with rubber-necks swinging. We were really beginning to get pumped for this!

A beautiful day, sun and shadow bisected the primed turf on what would be a very physical match. Tonga, favourites assumedly because of their pacific island association and long rugby heritage started with a step in their stride, expecting to walk over their competitors. Tonga’s fans were numerous in small pockets around the ground, chanting exhaustively for their team. Georgia had other ideas, battering Tonga with massive hits and bit carries, headed up by their talisman number 8 captain Mamuka Gorgodze.

Out of nowhere, the ground around us started to bellow with chants for this little known rugby nation fueled by pure passion. You could tell that every single Georgian in the land was willing their boys on for the win. After grinding their lower hemisphere counterparts to a metaphorical pulp, Georgia began to turn the screw and, though not looking to offer much out wide, hammered Tonga convincingly through an absolute dogfight up the middle.

I was shocked at the enthusiasm shown by these two small nations and their raw desire to will on their teams. It made me think of my summer at Ardingly hosting football sessions and how I was foolish to think that ‘the beautiful game’ was the student’s way of interacting. Perhaps any sport would have had the same effect.