Ghana rugby demonstrates new Olympic sport

23 Jun 2014 Accra - The Ghana Rugby Football Union demonstrated rugby as new Olympics sport to the youth during the celebration of the 2014 Olympics Day organised by the Ghana Olympics Committee at the Nicholson Stadium, Burma Camp on Saturday 21 June 2014.

This year’s event was expected to attract about 200 pupils and students from Garrison Schools. An important item on the programme was the demonstration of Olympic Sports including Rugby, Kick Boxing and Fencing.

Ghana rugby was well represented led by the Secretary General Francis Asare and coach Abdul Samad with children from Teshie and children from Madina Zurak park rugby.

Others from the Rugby Family who attended include coach Eric, coach Hassan Osman coach Abdul Mueze from Tamale, Hudu Ibrahim, Joseph Bulley, Emmanuel Doe.

In all Ghana Rugby was represented by 33 rugby children - 8 girls 28 boys and 6 senior players.

Rugby was supposed to be the second Olympic sport to be demonstrate but when the MC saw the number of children, players and preparation being done Ghana Rugby was asked to be the last sport to demonstrate the game of rugby with an extended time slot allocated to Ghana Rugby.

Before Ghana Rugby started its demonstration coach Samad asked the children to clear the field from every rubber and object on the field to also demonstrate the values of the Rugby Family.

The Ghana Rugby demonstration was introduced with the Ghana version of the famous All Black “Haka” followed by the senior players demonstrating some set pieces in rugby, line-out, scrum, scoring a try and open play.

This was followed by a two set of 5 children mixed with girls who played Tag Rugby. The day ended with the MC announcing that Rugby was the “sport of the day”.

The day ended with a Musical Chair competition for the children and the Ghana Rugby kids stole the show with taking most of the awards including: Adjetey Ernest - 1st position in the boys contest, Adjetey Alberta 1st position in the girls contest, Doreen Adjetey 2nd position in the girls contest and Deborah Sowah 4th position in the girls contest.

Mr. Herbert Mensah, President of the GRFU who could not attend expressed his delight in the excellent work done by the technical team led by Mr. George Ladipo who left the day’s organisation in the capable hands of coach Abdul Samad.

He continued to say, “A new era for Ghana Rugby was introduced by this excellent work done by Abdul Samad and all those involved. Rugby is not just a sport, but indeed a family of people who value life and the benefits that it bring such as having fun, developing, performing and competing.”

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