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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ben Summer

Schools can cancel lessons so kids can watch Wales at World Cup

Schools across Wales have been given permission to cancel lessons so pupils can watch Rob Page's Wales take on Iran in the World Cup.

The game kicks off on Friday, November 25, at 10am, making it the only Wales group-stage fixture to fall within school hours, so the Welsh Government is allowing schools to decide whether children can watch the game or not.

This is Wales' first World Cup appearance since 1958; a 10-year-old child who watched Wales bow out to Brazil in the quarter-final in 1958 would be 74 now.

The Football Association of Wales is also organising Cymru Football Friday events around the game, with more than 1,000 schools taking part in activities including skills sessions and football matches played between schools.

FAW chief executive Noel Mooney said: "We've worked with Welsh Government to create a festival in all our schools and the Iran game is perfect for us. You want a child to remember it and, hopefully, go on to play for us and become the future."

The occasion shows a shift away from rugby towards football, according to Cori Mabey, head of PE at Treorchy Comprehensive School. He told the BBC: "I've been in the school six years and I've seen a transition from rugby to football in that time over both participation numbers and interest.

"I'm also in a group chat with teachers in England and they were really surprised we were coming off the timetable during school hours. They're not doing anything at all. I don't know if they're just used to being in tournaments. But there's a real pride here, especially with the manager Rob Page coming from the Rhondda, that's bringing people together. We'll be using the sports hall, the main lecture theatre hall and other televisions will be dotted around classrooms as well."

Wales' other two group-stage games both kick off at 7pm: the first on Monday, November 21, against USA, and the other against England on Tuesday, November 29.

The FAW's efforts to celebrate Wales' first World Cup in 64 years have been ramping up in recent weeks. Huge bucket hats have started popping up across Wales, manager Rob Page embarked on a tour of the Rhondda before unveiling his squad at Tylorstown Welfare Hall, and Dafydd Iwan's Yma O Hyd has been remastered featuring the voices of the Red Wall.

For all the latest updates on Cymru's World Cup campaign, subscribe to our Wales football newsletter Don't Take Me Home.

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