2013/13 Senior 15 S Rugby League Launched

... to be played in Accra and Cape Coast

The president of the

Ghana Rugby Association (GRA) Madam Gifty Anna - Mayers has called of private

companies to support sports, especially the least finance ones as it is a big

avenue for advertising and promotioms.

Speaking at the launch

of the 2013 / 14 Senior S Rugby League, she thanked the Ghana Olympic Committee

(GOC) headed by Professor Francis Dodoo for ensuring that Ghana had the Olympic

Solidarity support for Rugby for the first time, and was very thankful to the

International

Olympic Committee (IOC) for supporting Ghana to unearth more talents.

She revealed that

plans are advanced to see that Ghana participates in the qualifying series to

participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

According to Madam

Annan - Myers, since Ghana started playing Rugby ten years ago, much has been

gained.

She said most of the

pioneer playes have formed clubs which has developbed into the Ghan Rugby Union

and they have a league which had been competitive despite that fact that Cosmos

Buffalos have dominated and won most times.

She urges the other

clubs to train harder and win to make the competition more interesting to

attract more sponsors.

The president

commended Beaufort Properties

Limited for supporting Rugby over the years.

Elvina, a

representative of Beaufort Properties who addressed the ceremony said her company

wants to see Ghahanians fit and happy. She said not every body loves football

or boxing as they has big interest in Rugby and want other companies to join in

the support and promotion.

Kwame Amponfi Jnr. The

Greater Accra Regional Sports Director said the National Sports Authority (NSA)

has been doing its best with its meager budget for all the over 30 sporting

disciplines ans associations.

He congratulated he

GRA for finding financial support in the private sector and promised that the

government will certainly support associations who put in some efforts to attract

sponsorship and are seen to be organies and working hard.

He praised the coaches

in the Greater Accra region who have made the region number one in the sport

and other disciplines.

The league begins on

December 14 at Cape Coast and continues on Januaruy 11 in Accra, then January

25 in Cape Coast before the finals in Legon, Accra on Febuary 8, 2014. The

venues are the Robert Mensah stadium and University of Ghana, Legon.

At stake is a trophy

and cash prize of 1000ghc for the winners, 500ghc for the runners up and 300ghc

for the third placers.

Daniel Kenaz MensahSecretary

General of the Ghana Rugby Association said this year’s league would be

competive and more interesting because an awareness had been created and more people

are getting to know the rules and regulations of the sport and since it started

at the schools, most students know much about the dos and donts and are looking

forward for more international matches abd exposure.

The teams vying for honours in Ghana

Rugby are Cosmos Buffalos, Dansoman Hurricans, Oguaman Ocean Warriors, Legon Titans,

Accra Sharks and Aggrey Oguaman RSC from Cape Coast.

Othes are Abora Bombers and Black Panthers

as well as Ideas Sports and Mfanstigates of Cape Coast.

Reverend Qarcoo, a member of the GOC who

graced the launch said sports is a way of changing lives for the better and

urged the Rugby playets to remain focused and train hard as their effort could yield

them a slot at the 2016 Olympic Games and more support will come it they are

well organized and are seen to be competitive.

He hinted that the GOCis ready to

support girls ans womens Rugby, especially at the tertiary level where the

students would be helped to showcase theur skills and talents and rewarded

financially or in kind.

He said the GOC is going to organize more

traing programs for players, coaches and team managers as wel as the media who

have supported the sport over the years.

He promised to collaborate with other

stakeholders and sponsors to push Rugby in Ghana forward.

All the ten participarting clubs were

presented with balls approved by the International Rugby Board (IRB)