A man and a revolutionary idea that united rugby and prison has now become a series: “Spartans: A True Story”
“Spartans: A True Story” Follow the inspiring story of Eduardo 'Coco' Oderigo, lawyer and former rugby player, who in 2009 created Argentina's first prison rugby team emerged in Penal Unit No. 48 of the Buenos Aires town of San Martín.
Composed of eight 35-minute episodes, the production hits the big screen Disney+ andThis February 19th and has as its main protagonist Oderigo (represented by the actor Guillermo Pfening) who, after seeing with his own eyes the reality of Argentine prisons, decided to found Spartans with the objective of transforming the lives of inmates through rugby.
However, the way to achieve it is not it was easy for him. In the process of forming this sports team, Oderigo had to face severe difficulties: dealing with the personal problems of his players, the prejudices of his own environment and, above all, the obstacles of the prison system.
Produced by PEGSA, the series is written by Andrés Gelós and Pablo Gelós, and directed by Sebastián Pivotto. In addition to Pfening's performance as Oderigo, the new production features the participation of Pablo Rago (Varela) and Lautaro Zera (Tomi). The series will also feature special participation by Jorge Suárez (Vargas), Juana Viale (María Laura), Carla Pandolfi (Male Oderigo) and Valentín Villafañe (Colli).
Spartans: A True Story” will feature two former Spartan players in the cast. The Pumas, the Argentine national rugby team: Juan Leguizamon (Tattoo) and Javier Ortega Desio (Baby).
The history of Spartans
Eduardo “Coco” Oderigo, a lawyer with eight children and a past as a player in the first division of SIC, is the soul behind the foundation of The Spartans.
It all started in 2009, when Coco visited the maximum security complex of Saint Martin and he left saddened. He had worked in a criminal court for 15 years and was used to the stories of prisoners, but not to the hopelessness he saw in prison. “I would like to teach prisoners to play rugby”, he told the prison director. He didn't have much of a plan, just an intuition that sport could help them. The results proved him right.
Seven years after the team was created, in 2016, with the support of volunteers, donors and companies, the Espartanos Foundation was created. The number that Coco is most proud of is the number of repeat offenders. The average in the Argentine prison system is 65 percent. That of the Spartans, of the 5 percent.
The foundation's work continues when people leave prison. Faced with the harsh reality of looking for work after years in prison, ex-convicts struggle with their lack of work routines and society's prejudices. To help them, The Spartans offer training programs and contacts with companies willing to give a second chance. There are more than 100 Spartans in freedom who they got a job thanks to the foundation.
The Spartans program is replicated today in 44 penal units of Argentina and in 16 prisons abroad, located in Spain, Chile, Uruguay, El Salvador, Peru and Kenya. At the national level, more than 1,000 people participate 2500 players between federal and provincial prisons.
Why rugby?
The main reason why rugby was chosen as a sport for prisoners is simple: It is the sport that Oderigo practiced all his life –played in the first division of the SIC–. However, there are also other specific features of the game that motivated this decision.
The fact that it is a rough, hitting sport, It serves as an outlet for convicts to release some of the accumulated anger. by years of deprivation. In addition, unlike football, respect for the referee is a central part of the game and contributes to the education of the prisoners. Added to this is the fact that Individual talent is worth less than team spirit and that helps to create community in an individualistic world, such as prisons.
Finally, the fact that most convicts do not know the sport serves to avoid the old vices, as is the case with football. Everyone has to learn the rules and spirit of the game from scratch. And that, says Oderigo, contributes to making the tool more powerful.
How to help
- Anyone can join the Spartans as a volunteer by participating in training, teaching the values of sport, physically preparing and organizing sporting events. They can also provide a second opportunity through the Entretiempo work internship program, or by hiring a Spartan. For more information, write to info@fundacionespartanos.org or enter www.fundacionespartanos.org.
