Uruguay IBA 2026 | Coco Oderigo’s powerful closing keynote: Rugby as a tool for prison reintegration

At the International Bar Association conference held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, the closing keynote did not centre on transactions or regulatory frameworks, but on what happens after the legal system has done its part.

Eduardo "Coco" Oderigo, criminal lawyer and founder of Fundación Espartanos, has spent years working inside prisons, organising rugby training sessions and matches for inmates as part of a structured reintegration programme. What began as an unconventional initiative has evolved into a model that has helped reduce recidivism rates from approximately 65% to 5%, reframing how rehabilitation can be approached within the justice system.

Delivered on 25 March at the Enjoy Punta del Este Hotel, his keynote took place before a packed room and was widely highlighted by co-host firms — including Guyer & Regules and Cervieri Monsuárez — as one of the most powerful moments of the conference. The intervention not only drew strong attendance, but also visibly moved the audience, bringing the forum to a markedly human and reflective close.

Rather than focusing on technical aspects of law, Oderigo shifted the discussion toward the social dimension of justice and the possibility of transformation within environments typically associated only with punishment.

Oderigo’s journey did not begin as a structured project, but almost by accident. In 2009, already established as a criminal lawyer and living what he describes as a "comfortable" life — while also coaching rugby at San Isidro Club — he entered Unit 48 of the San Martín prison. "I walked into the prison without prejudice — out of a kind of naivety. I had no idea what I was going to find." That lack of preconception became the starting point of what would follow.

What began as the idea of introducing rugby into a prison environment was initially met with scepticism. "You want to bring a violent sport into a violent place," he was told. Yet he persisted, convincing prison authorities to allow a first training session — the first step of a much broader initiative.

With the support of volunteers, donors and companies, the initiative evolved into Fundación Espartanos, formally established in 2016. The programme developed into a structured model of reintegration, using rugby not as symbolism but as a practical framework for discipline, teamwork and accountability. Its impact has been measurable. Recidivism among participants has dropped from around 65% to 5%, positioning Espartanos as a reference point in discussions on prison reform.

That impact is not only statistical — it is also deeply human. After one of the matches, a girl — the daughter of one of the inmates — expressed that it was the first time in her life she felt proud of her father, the first time she had seen him do something honourable. For Oderigo, moments like this capture the essence of the project: not only reducing recidivism, but restoring dignity and opening the possibility of a different path.

A central theme of Oderigo’s keynote is the role of prejudice. "At every level there were prejudices — from inmates, from prison staff, from friends, from people asking ‘what are you doing there?’" His own entry into the prison system was not driven by theory, but by openness. "If I had known more beforehand, I might have been afraid — or might not have done it at all." That perspective reflects a broader idea: that behaviour cannot be understood without context. "Nobody is born bad." Oderigo frames it more directly: "What did you do to be born on one side of the tracks, and someone else on the other? Who am I to judge you?"

At the centre of Espartanos is rugby — not as metaphor, but as structure. Despite perceptions of the sport as violent, Oderigo argues that in this context it has had the opposite effect. "In prison, they started playing rugby, and levels of violence dropped significantly — as did recidivism." Rugby introduces rules, discipline and a sense of belonging — elements often absent in the environments from which many inmates come. It becomes, in practice, a bridge between worlds that rarely intersect.

The Espartanos story has also moved beyond the prison system into the public sphere. A series based on the project — Espartanos: A Real Story — has been produced for Disney+, starring Guillermo Pfening alongside former Argentine national team players Juan Leguizamón and Javier Ortega Desio. For Oderigo, the purpose is clear: visibility. "Many people think ‘let them rot’ when they think about prisoners. They don’t think about giving them another chance." The series opens that conversation and shows what happens behind closed doors.

In a conference largely focused on cross-border transactions and investment structures, Oderigo’s keynote stood out because it shifted the lens. Delivered to a full room and received with visible emotion, it moved the discussion beyond legal frameworks into the human realities that underpin them. In doing so, it left a clear message: that the practice of law, even at its most technical, is ultimately connected to questions of opportunity, responsibility and second chances.

Coco Oderigo delivers motivational talks to law firms and companies on leadership, reintegration and social impact; for enquiries, contact Agustina Lanusse: aguslanusse@gmail.com