Fancy Some Rugby? Chatting with Kadıköy Rugby Club

This weekend I went in search of rugby in the hinterlands of Kadıköy, a neighborhood on the Asian side of Istanbul. I discovered a passionate group in the Kadıköy Rugby Club, who made me feel extremely welcome and were kind enough to answer some of my questions. As we sat in the clubhouse drinking tea, I discovered the club were an enthusiastic and determined bunch of guys who were only too happy to fill me in on the club’s history, aims and direction.

Kadıköy Rugby Club was initially founded in 2006 when Mert Ataray, formerly a member of the Ottomans rugby club, set about creating the first registered rugby team in Turkey. Mert, along with some former students, tried to keep the club going but it was short-lived and eventually the club went under. However, in 2011 it rose again like a phoenix out of the proverbial ashes and is now stronger than ever. The determination of the founding members is bearing fruit as Kadıköy Rugby Club continues to expand – they are always on the lookout for new members – and become a serious force in Turkish Rugby.

I talked to Julien Treu, Steve Jackson and Doruk Celiktutan. Julien, who lives in Istanbul with his Irish wife, has an impressive rugby pedigree having played in France, Ireland and Holland, even suiting up for the Dutch national team in a match against Scotland. Steve Jackson is also a veteran of the sport; born in Stevenage, England, he’s been playing for almost 28 years. Doruk is the team captain and, while he hasn’t had the same experience with the sport, he more than makes up for it with his enthusiasm. So much so, he managed to get himself called up to the Turkish National Team.

I met the guys in Fikirtepe at the Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü Fikirtepe Tesisleri and they fielded my questions.

What’s the team spirit like at the club?

Julien: It’s really amazing. We train hard and we also have a social aspect. We aim to win and be competitive but we are all great friends. We’ve all made friends within the club and that is the attitude we wanted.

Doruk: It’s really fantastic. I love playing for a club like this. I have made lots of friends here and training and playing for this club is what I look forward to every week.

Steve: It’s great here. I have a business here in Istanbul and obviously that takes my time but, seriously, being with the guys and training every Wednesday and Saturday is all I look forward to during the week.

What is the future for Kadıköy Rugby Club?

Julien: We want to be champions, without a doubt. We wouldn’t do this if we couldn’t become successful. We are a very determined to become the best team we could be. In the future we want a team that is self-sufficient and to keep the club going for years and years.

Steve: We want to expand our membership and reach out to everyone, our team is determined and wants to compete. Also, we want our own place one day. Playing here is great and we are welcomed but there are certain problems. Our training can be cancelled because football has priority, there is also a shortage of funds, it’s not cheap to be here. We are looking into sponsorship opportunities.

How many members are there currently?

Julien: At the moment we have around 35 members, but we want more. We are actively seeking new members through promotional material. We have promotional videos and our Facebook page is active and open to everyone.

Steve: At the moment our team is made up of roughly 90% Turks and this is great, it’s what we want. We want Turks to be the future of the club. That’s not to say nobody else can join, anyone can join if they have the right mentality and drive to play for us. Another problem is that most of our players will soon go to military service. We need more players and cover in the right areas to remain as strong as we are.

What does the club do regarding equipment?

Steve: It’s quite difficult to be honest. We have had to make our own tackle pads and we can’t store any of it here at the club, so unfortunately Julien lugs it around to every training session. As you can see we don’t have any rugby posts, so we put poles on the sides of the football nets. It’s not ideal but we’re playing rugby, which is all that matters.

What difficulties, if any, are you facing with regards to rugby in Turkey?

Steve: We’ve not really got that many. The response has been pretty positive in regards to our club. We have minor issues, like playing on AstroTurf and not real grass and equipment is also a problem, but we’re playing rugby and we’re getting better and better which is the best thing.

Julien: We’ve not really had that much support from the local council, I went to them and asked for some support but they were not interested in supporting us fully. If we can continue being successful then hopefully in a few years time we can go back to them and show them how successful we are.

Where do you see the club in 5 years time?

Steve: We want to be a bigger club and new members can help with this. We also are looking into a youth set-up. If we can get rugby into the minds of as many children as possible, then the future of this club will be very healthy. As I said also we want to have our own pitch and clubhouse to help promote the sense of unity we have here.

How often do you train?

Julien: We train twice a week. On a Wednesday night, 8-10 pm in Caddebostan and on Saturdays from 4 till 6 pm in Fikirtepe.

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Clearly, Kadıköy Rugby Club is an ambitious, close-knit group whose members train and play hard together. I was impressed by their attitude and approach, and got the feeling that they have built an excellent foundation for future growth.

If you fancy turning up to training, then get in touch with Julien Treu or Steve Jackson via Facebook. You can also check out the club’s website. Anyone who is interested in rugby and shares the group’s passion for Turkish rugby should contact them – you will be welcomed wholeheartedly and could become a part of this great team!

Sam Leivers is a contributor to Yabangee