Leadership (Abuja)
Ishola Bashir
4 January 2009
Lagos — The outgoing year for rugby is better forgotten than remembered, given the poor outings of the Rugby National Body in African and International engagements.
The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation, NRFF failed to perform throughout the 2008 rugby season with only one miserable outing for the senior national Team Cameroon, which ended in great disappointment for the Rugby community.
The federation started the year on a questionable note with the visit of the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) Secretary General and the IRB African Regional Manager to Nigeria in the first quarter of the year on an audit and fact finding mission, which has greatly exposed a lot of the misgivings of the present board and in particular, the secretariat. This visit was prompted by the cancellation of the 2007 Super 16 African Rugby League & U18 Rugby Championship hosted by Nigeria for the first time, which attracted so much protests from the participating countries, eventually resulting in the cancellation of the championship. Nigeria was to be penalized, but for the timely intervention of the IRB educator for Nigeria, Mr. Ntiense O. Williams who instead got Nigeria's sanctions waived and once again cleared to play in the 2011 Rugby World Cup African qualifiers, but denied an opportunity to host any International Rugby Board organized event.
This visit was expected to be a wake-up call to the Federation and get them to start performing, but unfortunately, it was just one of those things, and the board went back to a deep slumber throughout the year. Nigeria was listed for the 2011 Rugby World Cup African Qualifier against Cameroon in Yaounde with more than a year's notification, but as usual, the Federation made no plans up until the match was due. It was not therefore any news that Nigeria lost the match, but what was news was the fact that the match was almost not played as a result of players protest, due to lack of the basic amenities such as ordinary drinking water during training and lack of allowances. They were timely bailed out by the presence of the former NRFA president, Arc. Femi Williams, who had accompanied the team for the match. He had to make arrangement with his company in Lagos, and promptly salvaged the almost ugly situation, promising to pay the players their allowances on arrival at the Airport, before the match was played.
Unfortunately, Nigeria did not attend the continent's rugby governing body's Annual General Meeting held this year with no justifiable reason. Decisions taken there certainly will affect Nigeria in the next 2 years.
Unfortunately too, Nigeria did not participate in this first invitation to the Women 7's Rugby World Cup African Qualifiers that took place in Uganda in September, even with the usual transport subsidy from the International Rugby Board. Moreso, after the "Friends of Rugby", had helped to organize the first Women 7's Rugby National Championship and selected a national team with the promise to assist with the international engagement, but the federation saw it as a threat! It is also worth mentioning here that the Federation had tried without success on three occasions to host a Female National 7's Championship.
Nigeria was duly invited for the Men 7's Rugby World Cup African Qualifies in Tunisia with all expenses paid, but the Federation as usual could not attend and did not even deem it fit to inform the organisers of its inability to attend the championship, thereby putting a big question mark on the functionality of the National Secretariat!
Unfortunately, the Federation had no plans for the domestic development of the game in the country, and it was not surprising that they could not organize one single championship in 2008! Moreso, when they were totally detached from the rugby playing community.
That not withstanding, rugby development activities certainly took place in Nigeria with the emergence of the "Friends of Rugby" group who decided to engage in meaningful rugby development starting in Lagos and then moving into the rest of the country. We pay glowing tribute to Mr. Kelechi Mbagwu who has brought back life through the "Friends of Rugby" initiative in Nigeria.
There was however some respite for Nigeria on the international scene as the International Rugby Board deemed it appropriate to appoint / second Nigeria's "Mr. Rugby", Mr. Ntiense O. Williams to offer technical assistance to the Ghana Rugby Football Association towards their hosting and participation in the Confederation of African Rugby organized Super 16 African Rugby League which had a new format of 6 countries in participation against the normal four. Mr. Williams surely represented Nigeria & the IRB very well with Ghana eventually winning Bronze as against their initial 5th position rating in previous outings.
The "Friends of Rugby" made good their promise to engage in meaningful Rugby development in the Country by organising and sponsoring the 2007 & 2008 Lagos Rugby Union League with Racing Rugby FC winning the 2007 & Cowrie Rugby FC winning the 2008 editions respectively.
The Northern Clubs namely Kaduna Rugby FC, Jos Rugby FC, Barewa Rugby FC in Kano & Zaria Rugby FC maintained their Northern Rugby Union League, with intermittent 7's Rugby Tournaments in the four centers respectively. The 2008 prestigious Northern Rugby Union League was won by Kaduna Rugby Football Club of Kaduna State.
Eco II Rugby Football Club in conjunction with the "Friends of Rugby" successfully organized and sponsored the first ever 7's Female Rugby Championship in Nigeria in July, with Edo State emerging champions and carting away all the available awards from Most Valuable Players award to Highest Try Scorer/Points Scores award, respectively.
"Friends of Rugby" through one of their affiliate clubs - Addax Rugby Football Club in conjunction with the London Nigerian Rugby Football Club held two Rugby Coaching Clinic in Lagos for emerging players and school coaches. The visit was led by the Sponsorship Officer Mr. Winston Bell-Gam & the Club's Head Coach Mr. Rogers Coombs, alongside some up and coming coaches, referees, physiotherapists and trainers in the entourage. This was a follow-up to the team's tour of Nigeria in 2007. They have promised to make this an annual event and help with the development of the game in the country.
The "Friends of Rugby" through the International Rugby Board Coaches, Educator for Nigeria, Mr. Ntiense O. Williams took the game to "God's own State", thereby opening up a new chapter of Rugby in the South Eastern part of the Country. The Honourable Commissioner, Mr. Paul Mba was full of praise and promised to encourage the game in Abia State and register a team at the forth coming National Sports Festival in Kaduna.
"Friends of Rugby" are presently working on Niger State as well.
The group (Friends of Rugby) organised for the first time, an Independence Rugby Championship on October 01 to commemorate our beloved country's independence celebrations.
With the eventual dissolution of the Federations by the National Sports Commission and its subsequent constitution, it is hoped that more relevant, committed and rugby-oriented people are allowed to sit on the board of the federation next year. They have to have an antecedent with the sport to be relevant. Most importantly, the secretariat should be occupied by a seasoned administrator who will help to erase the ugly embarrassment that was our portion (thanks to the last board) in the international rugby community!
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Thanks for sharing your opinion. It is mind boggling that Rugby in Nigeria continues to struggle. We have such a pool of talent to at least move to the next level. I played with lagos Rugby Club from 1994-2002. In 2002, I played at the Safari 7's rugby touney in Kenya and on the "supposed" National team that was formed to play in the Abuja Vice Presidents cup in 2002. As far as I know that was the first National team in Nigeria. I was proud to represent my Country but the tournament was either poorly funded or funds were misappropriated. I have since coached at the College and club levels in the United States. I really want to help in any way possible. I have tried reaching out to Ntiense Williams but got no response. If anyone reading this article has contact information for Kelechi please send it to me @ malcolmdasilva@gmail.com. I really want to make contact with my rugby folks again. I plan on going home this Christmas and a trip to that damn secretariat is on my to do list. These stories are disturbing!!!
As the past President and rugby secretary of Kaduna Rugby Union Football Club i wish to give my thanks to the author of this article. In the 13 years that i have been involved with the Kaduna team and of lately the North,there has been a reluctance for the South to acknowledge rugby in the North. The NRFF have, since its inception, failed to furnish us with information regarding courses, games, visitting team's, etc. I have on numerous occassions requested to see auditted accounts (lets see where the money is being spent), but to no avail. Rugby, both 15's and 7's is thriving in the North with Kaduna State recently winning Gold in the Nigeria Sports Festival 15's competition. Communication is the key to propagating the game in Nigeria. This, coupled with dedicated and transparent board members will see the national team grow and prosper.