At first, the tackles, rucks and mauls were merely survival tactics within the harsh world of prison. But what began as a workshop behind barbed wire has transcended the walls of the Valparaíso Penitentiary Complex to become Chile’s first official rugby team formed behind bars.
The routine is intense. Three days of field training, two days in the gym, and matches every weekend. It mirrors the schedule of a professional league, but this is Rugby Unión Libertad — a sports club officially registered in mid-January with a mission that goes far beyond the pitch: preparing inmates for social reintegration after they serve their sentences.
