Rugby coach's homeward try links past, future

Editor's note: The Taiwan question is a key focus for China and the international community. China Daily is publishing a series of reports to track hot Taiwan-related topics and address disinformation from the Democratic Progressive Party administration.

Most children grew up memorizing classic Chinese poems to connect with their heritage. Kang Yung-ming in Taiwan, however, was tasked with mastering a mental map — a precise ancestral address leading to a place he had never seen that his father insisted on calling "home".

"Kangjia village, Tong'an county, Quanzhou prefecture, Fujian province." It was from this very location that the 48-year-old rugby coach's ancestors moved to Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

It was a ritual ingrained by his father, who rewarded his children with pocket money for every flawless chant of their roots. This childhood memory eventually became Kang's North Star, guiding him from the rugby pitches of Taiwan back to the very soil his father once made him recite about.

In early 2024, Kang — a veteran coach with 20 years of experience on the pitch — relocated his family of four from Hsinchu, Taiwan, to Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province. His move coincided with a strategic shift in the region's development — the establishment of a demonstration zone for cross-Strait integrated development.

Today, Fujian has evolved into a "first home" for Taiwan compatriots to develop and settle on the Chinese mainland. Now a faculty member at Fuzhou University of International Studies and Trade, Kang has become a pioneer of rugby — a sport that is popular in Taiwan but remains a niche pursuit on the mainland.

Sports foster bonding

"Sports provide a natural, barrier-free language for interaction," Kang said. Under his promotion, Fuzhou has hosted events inviting youth teams from across the Strait to compete.

In rugby, collisions are inevitable, but respect is mandatory. While the matches are intense, they have become a breeding ground for friendship among young people.

The grassroots spirit is now echoing in the 2026 Fujian provincial government work report, which explicitly champions grassroots sports — including baseball and dragon boat racing — as vital platforms for cross-Strait youth integration.

In the logic of rugby, to move forward, one must often look back — a "backward pass" to the ancestors that allows the next generation to sprint ahead. For Kang, the journey to the mainland has been personal as much as professional.

Through the local Kang clan association, he finally located the family ancestral hall in today's Tong'an district in Xiamen. The area was part of the Quanzhou prefecture that his father had made him memorize.

Kang said standing on that soil gave him a sense of stability he had never felt before, fulfilling an 80-year-old dream his father carried for a lifetime.

However, he believes the connection is defined by more than just ancient genealogy. He noticed that his friends in Taiwan and Fuzhou share a common obsession with trendy cultures like Labubu dolls.

"Whether it's the heritage we inherit or the pop culture we consume today, as long as there is shared passion, there is no barrier between the two sides," Kang said.