Jatinder Salwan’s love for rugby began four years ago when he was first invited to participate in the Touch Rugby Tournament organised at Societe Generale Global Solution Centre as a part of Rugby World Cup 2015 promotions. Being an army veteran, Jatinder loved the feeling Rugby invoked in him– spirit of camaraderie, the enthusiasm and the raw physical activity this sport demands. Rugby spoke to Jatinder like no other game had in a long time. So when Jatinder and his team won all the matches in the tournament four years ago and were invited to a live screening of the Rugby World Cup 2015 Quarter Finals where New Zealand defeated France, Jatinder knew his days of playing this sport was only starting!
Fast forward to 2019, Societe Generale pulled all stops and organised a tournament that would span over a period of two months! Teams were forming in Societe Generale India and in other Regions. The prospect was too exciting, and Jatinder joined one of the teams in Societe Generale Bangalore – Team Déjà vu. What he and the other players didn’t know was that the winner from each region would face off in a tournament organised in Hong Kong!
What followed was weeks of planning, strategising, rigorous practice sessions and an action-packed tournament. During this exciting time Jatinder never lost sight of why he was doing this – the exhilarating euphoria this game brings him. Team Déjà vu won all the matches they played against the other teams in Bangalore and emerged winners!
Jatinder soon packed his bags and left with his team for Hong Kong. What awaited him there was a warm, welcoming atmosphere and he found himself among players from other regions who were as pleasantly surprised as he was at the amazing networking opportunity this game has brought them.
But Jatinder knew that tough competition awaited him and his team in the fields the next day. He was amazed by the display of sportsmanship and skills and couldn’t be prouder of the team he was a part of. In the end, though team Déjà vu didn’t win the finals, Jatinder’s stint as a rugby star also translated into an immersive cultural experience where he felt he continued to learn about people from other regions. He got to network with employees from across the regions and found that the tournament helped break the ice in more ways than one. Not only did he get to meet new and interesting people, but he was also mistaken to be a Bollywood actor several times! Jatinder walked away with memories and friendships that was made possible because of this wonderful game called rugby.
