Richmond Institute students continue to gain once-in-a-lifetime experiences, with a cohort of 15 taking a 10-day trip to India in October. 

In an incredibly valuable experience, the trip was a fantastic opportunity for Richmond Institute students to experience a new culture, build connections and learn beyond the classroom. The students embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and excitement. 

Richmond Institute is the education arm of the Richmond Football Club and a leader in sports industry education. In collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology, Richmond Institute develops the next generation of sports industry leaders. Click here to learn more. 

The students began their journey in the beautiful city of Amritsar, where upon arrival, they were greeted by trip guides, Mayur and Saurabh, along with Bawa, a local from Punjab.
 
Their time in Amritsar was short but special, giving students the chance to get to know one another and experience the beauty of Punjab. A visit to the Golden Temple was a highlight, being the holiest shrine in Sikhism and home to one of the world’s largest free community kitchens. 

A memorable moment for many students came that afternoon, when they bonded with local children and taught them Australian Rules Football in the narrow streets behind the city centre.
  
Ludhiana was the next stop, where the students connected with locals and schoolchildren. At a local Gurudwara (Sikh temple), students served food in the community kitchen, and visited two nearby schools to introduce the children to AFL skills. There's no doubt it was a special day for the Richmond Institute crew, with the locals excited to have them visit and the students feeling incredibly lucky to spend time with them and share their love of sport and footy.

An overnight train to Agra followed, which created some nerves, but the destination of the Taj Mahal made the train journey worth it.
   
Seeing the Taj Mahal was a surreal moment for the students, who learnt about its origins and history, while admiring its intricate craftsmanship.

The students next set off to Khajuraho, where they met Lincoln and Madeleine from the Dignity Project and visited the amazing Wonderkids English School, where they spent the next two days volunteering. Wonderkids is a small school on the outskirts of Khajuraho that offers free education to 150 economically disadvantaged children in the surrounding area. 
 
The Richmond Institute students planned and coordinated Wonderkids’ annual sports carnival, filled with activities such as tunnel ball and three-legged races. The day was a highlight not only for the Wonderkids students, but also Richmond Institute, as seeing the smiles on the children’s faces was a proud and rewarding moment for everyone involved. The emotional goodbyes the following day were a testament to the meaningful connections formed and the lasting impact of their time at Wonderkids.

After a quick stop in Varanasi to join some local athletes at a traditional Akhada gym, the beautiful and bold city of Mumbai was next on the itinerary. 
 
As the country’s financial capital and heart of the Bollywood industry, the tour guides were eager to share the unique character of their hometown. To immerse the students in the city, the guides organised an Amazing Race challenge that took them across Mumbai, encouraging city exploration and local engagement.
 
After learning Bollywood dances with locals and sampling Mumbai’s traditional flavours, the students made their way to their race destination, Shivaji Park. Here, an Australian Rules Football match between the Richmond Institute students and local Mumbai players would take place, becoming another highlight of the trip.

It was a tough battle, with the Richmond Institute students putting up a strong fight. However, the local Mumbai players, many of whom had been playing the game for over 10 years, proved too good on the day. 

What stood out the most, though, was the connections made on the ground. 

With water bottles serving as goalposts and boundary lines that seemed to change depending on who you asked, the conditions were far from conventional. Yet none of that mattered. The shared love of sport and friendships formed were the biggest takeaways from the day. As the final night in India, it was a fitting way to wrap up the trip, with a game of footy that will be remembered fondly.

The trip came after Richmond Institute students recently embarked on trips to Samoa and Cape York.

Richmond Institute is the education arm of the Richmond Football Club and a leader in sports industry education. In collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology, Richmond Institute develops the next generation of sports industry leaders. Click here to learn more.