At nine years old, Kaleem Barreto had never heard of rugby but was convinced by his best friend to go along to the Dundee team trials.
Despite his lack of experience, a young Kaleem made the team and quickly discovered his love for the game.
“I’m not entirely sure how I got into that team – maybe there were only 15 of us that turned up,” he joked.
Now 25, Kaleem has played all across the world for both Scotland and Great Britain.
The early years
Reflecting on those formative years, Kaleem expressed that before the Dundee trials, rugby had never been on his radar as it wasn’t a sport that his family were familiar with.
“I was born in Portugal, so I was surrounded by football as a youngster,” he explained.
“My grandad is from India and had a big cricketing background so that was always a big part of my life growing up too,” he added.
Moving to Scotland at the age of 3, Kaleem kept up the family tradition, playing cricket for Dundee High School FPs and going on to represent Scotland at U15s.
“I have such fond memories of playing cricket in the garden with my grandad and how passionate he was about the sport,” he told us.
Making his mark
Kaleem continued to play both rugby and cricket until the age of 16 when he found himself at a crossroads, having to make a call between the two.
“It’s always tough when you’ve got multiple sports that you are passionate about and cricket obviously meant a lot to me because of my grandad,” he expressed.
“With rugby being a bigger sport in Scotland I guess I saw more longevity in it.”
Since then, Kaleem has made a name for himself in the Scottish rugby scene, being enrolled in the Scottish Rugby Academy for the 2015-16 season and making his debut for Glasgow Warriors in 2017.
He gained his first Scotland 7s cap in 2019 and went on to vice-captain the side at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup Sevens in the same year.
Becoming a role model
Fast forward to the present day, Kaleem now plays for Great Britain Sevens where he has held a professional contract since 2022.
At just 25, he already boasts a hugely impressive career and is undoubtedly an inspiration to young players coming up through the rugby pathway.
Just this month, he was awarded the Sport Award for his achievements at the annual Scottish Muslim Awards. On the evening, he recognised what it means to be a mixed-race, Muslim rugby player, and the responsibility of being a role model to young aspiring athletes.
“Growing up, I was the only brown Muslim kid in my school for 4 of my 6 years at high school, and as much as I actually really loved that, I was obviously aware that I was somewhat different to my peers.
“Although I have definitely had comments made over the years, I am very privileged not to have faced a huge amount of discrimination in my life and to have been allowed to be really proud of who I am.
“I think being aware that this is sadly not the case for so many others has made me really determined to use my position for good.”
When asked about the people he looked up to as a young athlete, Kaleem recalls seeing Joe Ansbro playing for Scotland; the first brown rugby player he had ever seen.
“It was funny because even though he played a completely different position to me, I remember just wanting to be like him because he looked like me,” he told us.
“Now in my adulthood and in my position as a professional rugby player, I can recognise the power that I have just by being who I am and doing what I do.”
Faith in the game
Reflecting on his recent award, Kaleem said it had been an emotional evening and that he was grateful to have the opportunity to connect with a room full of people who share his faith.
“There is no denying that it is a testing time around the globe, and that was continuously recognised throughout the evening.
“As exciting as it was to win the award, the best bit for me was afterwards when we all got to mingle and have some really enriching conversations.”
As a full-time professional rugby player, being in a room full of people who share his Muslim faith is not a common occurrence for Kaleem.
“It’s not something I necessarily miss in my day-to-day life because I guess I have spent my whole life mixing with people from different cultures and backgrounds,” he explained.
“I’m also incredibly fortunate to be part of a team that breathes inclusivity and authenticity.
“Because the sevens set-up is so much smaller than 15s, I think it makes it so much easier to be completely yourself and form really close bonds.
“So as much as I’m not coming to training in my national dress, I know that I’m accepted for who I am.”
In it together
Sharing his experience within the GB Sevens set-up, Kaleem recalls a special moment shared with his teammates whilst competing in Sydney.
“A moment I’ll always remember was on that trip, my teammate Api who is from Fiji had all his family there supporting him.
“They invited all of us in as they got the kava out and did his traditional welcome and I just thought wow this is something that I would have never experienced otherwise.”
Expressing how inclusive the rugby environment is, Kaleem said that when a video showing his prayer before a game was shared on the GB Sevens social media earlier this year, he had momentarily felt anxious that it may be received negatively.
“It ended up getting a really positive reaction and I think I quickly realised that it’s no different to any other rituals my teammates use before games.
“Whilst I’m praying, others have lucky charms or kiss the ball before every game – we all have our own things.”
To the future
Looking ahead, Kaleem hopes to continue being a voice for good and a role model to those coming up behind him.
“I guess it’s about getting that balance.
“I want to be a role model to all young people coming into the game because of how I play and my skills on the pitch.
“But I also recognise that for some players I might be their Joe Ansbro, and I take that responsibility incredibly seriously.”
More info
- Find Kaleem on Instagram
- Scottish Rugby
- Great Britain Sevens
