Aadel Kardooni: on his rugby career and Welsh links

Aadel Kardooni was the first Iranian rugby union player in Britain, having played for Leicester Tigers for ten years during the late 1980s and 1990s. I'd the pleasure of talking to him about his close ties to Wales, his life in the UK and passion for giving young people a chance in life.

Tehran-born Kardooni moved to Dorset, England in the late 1970s for education. Eight-years-old at the time, he came to the country knowing no English and had planned to return to Iran after his studies. This didn't go to plan as the country had a Revolution and a war to contend with. He happily settled at Sherborne School and developed a passion for rugby, hockey and cricket. It was the former he wanted to pursue the most and later trialled at the Wasps. 

Kardooni's time at the Wasps didn't last long. He was benched when the Wasps travelled to Leicester Tigers and fell in love with his opponent. "I remember so clearly the atmosphere at Leicester," he recalls. "The 14,000 fans there were fantastic and I thought to myself, 'I fancy playing here'." And before long, he applied for a business and economics degree at Leicester De Montfort and the rest was history.

His first taste of professional rugby for Leicester came at Wales. His debut was against Swansea - facing the likes of the Moriarty brothers - followed by ties at Llanelli and Cardiff. "These matches were friendlies," Kardooni says. "It's true to say that if you could survive playing in Wales, you'll survive being a player."

"I remember the game at Swansea vividly, especially what happened after. A few of us went for a fabulous night out and found ourselves headed towards Marthas Nightclub during it. Paul Dodge [then captain of the Tigers] was told he couldn't go in - but I could!"

During his career, Kardooni would play matches in Neath, Bridgend and Pontypridd but when the league structures changed which meant that Leicester's travels to Wales were no more. That said, this didn't end his associations with Wales. While at University, he met Aberystwyth-born David ('Dai') Griffiths. They're best friends, cemented with the fact Dai was Kardooni's best man and is godfather to his two children. Kardooni's wife has Welsh relatives who also live in Aberystwyth and the whole family, with Dai's, visit the seaside town every summer.

"We've been going to Aberystwyth for years," says Kardooni. "It's a beautiful place to visit - I'd often go for long morning walks and enjoy the sea views. We've made some more close friends there too [including Gwen and Truck, pictured left]."

Kardooni retired from rugby in the early 2000s, ending his career at Bedford. He bases himself not far from there today, and spends his weekends coaching teenagers in North London, for Old Grammarians. This has become a passion for him, and it isn't just because he's coaching a sport he's loved since a child. "I'm not trying to coach the next rugby superstar," he says. "I want them to be nice kids and integrate in society together. They come from all walks of life."

"You learn a lot by playing rugby. You're totally reliant on the man next to you, everyone has to do their bit and be part of a team. You know more about yourself. It's also important to educate the parents too. We're based very close to the Saracens Amateur team but that shouldn't be relevant. We need to do more to encourage kids to be kids. In doing so, the results are big; they grow in confidence at school and have that desire to succeed. Their efforts make my work worthwhile." 

During the pandemic, he's kept the Club going, albeit virtually. "It's important to keep the kids motivated during these times, whether it's through keeping up with their fitness on Zoom, or hosting Q&A sessions with rugby legends, including Rory Underwood and Martin Johnson [England's World Cup winning captain]."

Kardooni's biggest pride is seeing his son's enthusiasm for rugby. "I didn't want to push him to play rugby," he said. "He liked football initially but that interest waned a little and he wanted to play rugby. One of the happiest days of my life was when he took to the rugby pitch for the first time at the age of six." His son now plays at Under-17 level for Old Grammarians. How's that going, I ask. Kardooni recalls their first day as coach and player, "I remember telling him; 'I'm going to be your coach on Sundays and I will treat you with respect like I would with others in your team."

Kardooni does travel back-and-forth to Iran and has relatives both there and Dubai. He was born in Tehran by accident, with his parents (father from Abadan and mother, Ahvaz) travelling to the capital for work reasons for a short period of time. He speaks of his pride of his Iranian heritage, and not to mention the homely food. He is also encouraged by the progress rugby union is making in Iran, particularly the women's team. "Iranians are trying to restart rugby by using their Greco-Roman wrestling roots, which is big in Iran," he says.

Kardooni (third right) at an outing with some former Welsh rugby stars; Jonathan Davies (second left), Ricky Evans (fourth right) and Kevin Ellis (first left)