WHILE Bangkok struggled to contain a volatile political situation earlier this year, a group of 13-year-old children from the capital’s Mahamek Home for Boys had something a little more positive to focus on.

The youngsters were eagerly awaiting their trip to Wirral for a week of fun with Birkenhead School and, of course, the Caldy International Touraid Festival to be staged by Caldy Rugby Club on September 26.

The Mahamek Tigers are the first team from Thailand to venture to the UK as part of the Touraid charity’s programme of creating sustainable links between many of the world’s poorest communities and schools and clubs in the UK and they are very excited by the opportunity.

Having not played rugby for a couple of years as a result of both a shortage of funding and personnel to coach them, they are now getting back out on their own makeshift pitch.

Caldy Touraid’s man on the ground in Bangkok, Adam Woolliscroft, financial director for Shop Direct in the Far East and general rugby nut, grasped the project with both hands and has worked hard alongside coach Ronk to prepare the boys for the trip.

He said: “At first the home was a little wary of the project having not been offered such an opportunity before. However it was not long before we had a plan in place and the whole project took off with a vengeance.

“The boys and staff have been fantastic, getting to grips with the rugby training, a little sporadic at times due to a shortage of helpers, and also getting to grips with improving their English. The benefits already have been tremendous with a new team spirit and new hope.”

The boys home was established to provide for children who, despite being poor orphans and having no one to care for them, were considered ‘properly behaved and industrious’.

The boys are being hosted by Birkenhead School and headmaster John Clark said: “It is a very special time for us to be welcoming our visitors from Bangkok.

“We appreciate how fortunate we are in having a well established programme of foreign sports tours – most recently with our rugby and hockey teams visiting Southern Africa and cricket teams going to Barbados – and we know how much these experiences enrich the lives of our own students.”