Rugby birds of prey ready to battle for the spoils in Ghana

The Botswana National Men’s 15s Team, the Botswana Vultures, arrived in Ghana and was whisked off to Cape Coast for final preparations for a crucial Rugby Africa Cup (RAC) against the Ghana National Men’s 15s team, the Ghana Eagles.

The match has been dubbed the “Battle Of The Birds Of Prey” due to the respective teams’ logos and names – the Ghana Eagles and Botswana Vultures.

The President of Ghana Rugby, Herbert Mensah today announced the squad in Accra Ghana.

Ghana Rugby Men’s 15s Eagles squad for the Ghana, Botswana clash

Starting 15

1 – Amissah / Andrews Kwamena

2 – Hunt / William Elliott

3 – Boamah / Prince

4 – Bosoka / Calestus

5 – Arthur / Michael

6 – Klugey / Gideon

7 – Dorpenyo / Alexander

8 – Yaya / Lukman

9 – Botchi / Richard Kossivi

10 – Mensah-Donkor / Francis Kweku

11 – Montchon / Kofi

12 – Gavor / Selom

13 – Acquaye / Michael

14 – Yussif / Abdul Jalilu

15 – Acquaah / Alexander George

Substitutes

16 – Rabiu / Mohammed

17 – Illiasu / Abdul Wahid

18 – Adamson / Christian Percy

19 – Addison / Ka-Cie Jonathan

20 – Dzata / Jason Kweku

21 – Donkoh / John

22 – Terakuu / Emmanuel

23 – Amuzuloh / Suwabiru Salim

Coach – Lovemore ‘Dallas’ Kuzorera

Assistant Coach – Collin Osborne

Team Manager – Salisu Abdul Rahman

In a message from Accra, Mensah said that this very-first match of the Rugby Africa CUP is a significant moment in the history of Rugby Africa.

Rugby Africa scrapped the Bronze, Silver and Gold Cups in 2019, due to financial constraints and introduced the new Rugby Africa Cup that will give the top sixteen nations in Africa to compete for the honours of “African Champion”.

The first four elimination matches will be played this and next weekend with the very first RAC match being the one between Ghana and Botswana on Saturday November 23, 2019, in Elmina-Ghana at 11:00am.

On the same day Neighbour, Ivory Coast will take on Rwanda in the Ivory Coast while Madagascar and Nigeria will play their elimination match next weekend in Madagascar. Senegal and Mauritius will also play next weekend.

Winners of these four matches will proceed to the pool stages of the 2020 RAC while the losers will have to wait another year to get a shot at the Cup.

The team that wins the RAC encounter between Ghana and Botswana will proceed to the pool stage of the RAC and will face Zimbabwe and Tunisia in Pool D towards the middle of 2020.

This will be the third Rugby Africa tournament hosted by Ghana and should Ghana beat Botswana it will also be the third time that Ghana wins a tournament on home ground.

In 2017 Ghana hosted and won the Regional Challenge .