Butch James and Laureus World Sports Academy member Sean Fitzpatrick met the Operation Breakthrough Under 16s team at the International Youth Tournament being held in Hong Kong and Fitzpatrick, who captained the All Blacks a record 51 times, delighted the players and the spectators by performing the ritual Maori ‘Haka’ dance.

They were joined in Hong Kong by celebrated British mountaineer Annabelle Bond, also a Laureus Friend and Ambassador, who scaled the highest summits on seven continents in just 360 days, making her the fastest woman climber in the world. Formerly a Hong Kong resident, she took part in the 63-mile Machlehose Trail mountain marathon for four straight years. She has raised over US 1.6m for an ovarian cancer charity.

Butch said: “I am thrilled to be a Laureus Ambassador and it was terrific to be able to visit my first Laureus project along with such a great rugby player as Sean Fitzpatrick. To spend time with these young kids who get so much joy and sporting pleasure as a result of their involvement in rugby was a memorable experience. It was great to see so much positive communication between the leaders and the youngsters. I would like to congratulate everyone who has worked so hard to make Operation Breakthrough a success.”

Operation Breakthrough is a ground-breaking programme, where, for the first time in Hong Kong, sport is being used as a means of helping to fight crime and juvenile delinquency in low income and immigrant communities. The project addresses at risk youngsters who have either come into contact with the police or who have been identified by schools or social workers. Many are recent immigrants from the mainland and most come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Common problems include dysfunctional families, Triad involvement, substance abuse and petty crime.

The project operates in partnership with the Hong Kong Police and the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union and is led by police and rugby volunteers in partnership with social workers. Sport is used as a medium to build trust between the youngsters and the volunteers, to provide focus, develop discipline, encourage teamwork, teach values and increase confidence and self-esteem. There has been little re-offending amongst the Operation Breakthrough youngsters, and the feedback from the social workers and schools has been extremely positive.

In addition to rugby, the project also offers sports such as boxing, football, contemporary dance, sailing and dragon boat racing. These sports are not usually available to the average working class child in Hong Kong, providing extra incentives for participants not to offend or re-offend. The project has also established relationships with several corporations who have offered employment opportunities.
Chief Superintendent Iain Seabourne of the Hong Kong Police, who is one of the directors of Operation Breakthrough, thanked the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation for its backing. “We have had tremendous support from Laureus since 2005. The partnership is very much appreciated and we are proud of the fact that we have been able to expand the programme so much in the last three years. Having legendary rugby players like Sean and Butch visiting Operation Breakthrough is just amazing and is a delight for the kids and the staff.”
The mission of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is to fund and promote the power of sport to effect positive social change in communities around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €15 million for projects which have helped improve the lives of more than 750,000 children. The Foundation supports over 60 humanitarian projects worldwide through its global foundation and a growing network of eight subsidiary foundations in Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. The Foundation addresses issues in particular involving, but not limited to, young people impacted by social exclusion, gun and gang violence, discrimination, community integration, peace and reconciliation, and education.