Ahead of the kickoff of the Africa Rugby Sevens tournament in Mauritius, the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) (www.NigeriaRugby.org) has taken a significant step in repositioning rugby in the country by signing a three-year partnership deal with Flovale Consulting.

The partnership will enable Flovale Consulting to create a dedicated channel and focus efforts on making rugby one of the most popular sports in Nigeria, while also promoting the development of both body and mind. This collaboration aims to lay a strong foundation for the future growth of Nigerian rugby.

“We are passionate about developing rugby as a government agency responsible for the promotion and development of the game in Nigeria,” said NRFF President Dr. Ademola Are. “This partnership will advance rugby in Nigeria through a unified plan that benefits all levels of the game, from community and professional rugby clubs to unions, regions, commercial partners, and fans. Everyone has a role to play.”

The partnership focuses on growing rugby participation, increasing fan engagement, and supporting players at all stages of their careers.

It reflects the NRFF’s ambitions for development and growth, addressing societal issues and values.

The collaboration will create development programs and age-appropriate training structures, ensuring junior players can develop their skills and passion for rugby in a fun and safe environment.

Volunteers and players will be actively supported to fully enjoy their time in the sport.

“We aim to help players reach their full potential and remain involved in rugby into adulthood, whether playing for unions or clubs. Delivering this strategy with our clubs, schools, partner organizations, and commercial partners will ensure that rugby in Nigeria continues to thrive,” said Opeoluwa Runsewe, CEO of Flovale.

Runsewe added, “As a corporate partner, Flovale Consulting is committed to driving growth and success both locally and globally. With careful planning and innovative strategies, this partnership is set to elevate rugby, foster financial stability, and achieve significant milestones.”

“We are excited about this partnership with Flovale. Collaborations such as this will foster the development of rugby in Nigeria,” concluded Dr. Ademola Are, NRFF President.

The newly elected President of Rugby Africa, the continental governing body for rugby in Africa, Mr Herbert Mensah, will discuss the business of sport in a one-to-one fireside chat at the 2023 Africa Investment Forum (AIF) on Thursday, November 9 in Marrakech, Morocco.  

The annual three-day Africa Investment Forum Market Days event will commence on Wednesday November 8 to Friday November 10 under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Value Chain” in Marrakech, Morocco.

Championed by the African Development Bank and seven other founding partners (Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Afreximbank, Development Bank of Southern Africa, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Trade and Development Bank), the Africa Investment Forum is Africa’s investment marketplace to accelerate transactions to close Africa’s investment gaps.

Founded in 2018, the Africa Investment Forum has mobilized nearly $143 billion in investment interest. The event brings together heads of state, business leaders, decision makers and investors to advance critical investment transactions to closure. Previous attendees include H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, and H.E Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana.

The sports industry in Africa is experiencing rapid growth, with the potential to generate jobs, improve public health, foster social inclusion and drive economic growth. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the industry was valued at $7 billion in 2018 with an expected growth of $12 billion in 2027. Despite the potential, investment across Africa remains limited, with only 1% of startup financing directed towards the sport sector.

Rugby Africa President, Herbert Mensah, continues to emphasize the business potential of rugby across Africa. Since his election, President Mensah has called for a change of mindset from African governments and international organizations to increase investment in rugby across Africa. In June, President Mensah delivered a keynote speech on treating rugby as a lucrative business venture at the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa 2023 event in Marrakech, Morocco.

 

-insidethegames

France are on the brink of reaching the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals after claiming their biggest-ever win with a 96-0 victory over Namibia in Pool A.

Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick, while Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Louis Bielle-Biarry all scored twice.

Antoine Dupont, Thibaud Flament, Baptiste Couilloud and Melvyn Jaminet also crossed before a penalty try took their total tally to 14 in Marseille.

The only French cause for concern was the loss of Dupont to injury.

The hosts’ captain was withdrawn during the second half following a head-on-head tackle by Johan Deysel, whose yellow card was upgraded to a red by the bunker-review system.

France head coach Fabien Galthie’s decision to keep his talisman on the field despite his side’s huge 54-point half-time advantage could be scrutinised if Dupont’s injury keeps him on the sidelines with the knockout stages looming.

Les Blues, who are top of Pool A with three wins from their opening three games, surpassed their previous biggest winning margin of 87-10 against Namibia in their last home World Cup in 2007 and will face Italy in their next fixture on 6 October in Lyon.

Namibia are rooted to the bottom of the table after suffering three heavy defeats, and face a final pool game against Uruguay on 27 September.

Ruthless France peaking at the right time

A much-changed France side overcame Uruguay without overly exerting themselves in their last game, but the Namibians felt the full force of their wrath here.

Heavyweights Dupont, Penaud and Flament were back in the side and they were quickly into their stride at Stade Velodrome.

Dupont showed all of his class to fire a cross-field kick with his right boot for the prolific Penaud to extend his try-scoring run to six consecutive Tests.

Centre Danty marked his return to the side after injury with the second following some neat work from Bielle-Biarry close to the touchline before Ollivon rounded off a flowing team move.

Penaud added his second moments later with an inside pass from a line-out move off the training field, before Danty doubled his own tally with a powerful finish from close range.

Simple run-ins for Flament and Dupont followed before the diminutive scrum-half turned provider with a perfectly weighted clip off his left boot for Bielle-Biarry to score without breaking stride.

That try handed France a 54-point lead and their biggest ever half-time advantage, but they were far from finished.

Dupont made way holding his face but it would not affect the outcome on the night as his replacement Couilloud crossed unopposed in the corner.

Penaud secured his hat-trick in the same corner before Namibia, who had been toothless in attack, intercepted a loose French pass and threatened to score their opening try, but Jaminet covered the kick through as France recycled the ball and Bielle-Biarry ran it straight back with interest.

An Ollivon dummy for try number 12 was followed by a neat backs’ move for Jaminet to finish off before a final penalty try ended the rout.

France are among the favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Cup next month and will face tougher challenges than the one posed by Namibia, but their ruthless attack sent a real message to the rest of the runners and riders.

-BBC