In 2000 the French Company Alliance Française created the ‘School of the Rugby, School of Life’ to give children an opportunity to play sport and get fit. The school is now run by the Malagasy Rugby Union.

The clubs are based in neighbourhoods around the major cities at sports centres and playgrounds, in many cases an old rice fields, not the most suitable fields for rugby. More than 5000 street children aged between 8 to 16 years attend the rugby school twice a week. Many of these children have had no education and come from broken homes. Coaches who themselves have come from similar backgrounds volunteer and encourage the children to participate in many activities including rugby.

Today the association has little funding and is struggling to provide a opportunities for many young people. The limited finds available are raised through local activities including raffles, sales of calendars and public subsidies. Any maintenance of buildings is dependent upon volunteers.