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EDO AND KANO STATES WIN 5TH NATIONAL YOUTH GAMES RUGBY GOLD MEDALS

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BY NTIENSE WILLIAMS

Edo State Girls and Kano State Boys Rugby Teams both won the converted Seven – A – Side Rugby Gold Medals at the 5th National Youth Games at Ilorin.

A highly determined Edo State Girls Rugby Team defeated a highly athletic Delta State Girls by 10 points to 5 points during the extra time sudden death after both teams had tied at normal regulation time with 5 points a piece in a tension soaked encounter.

The Boys match also went into extra time and was even more dramatic and emotional with the highly skilled Kano young lads taking the upper hand again during the extra time sudden death by defeating a die hard and highly determined Delta State side by 12 points to 7 points.

The Medals table for Rugby event at the 5th National Youth Games saw new comers such as Edo and Kano State clinching the Gold Medals in their first appearance.

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Delta State won Silver Medals in both Boys and Girls, while Ogun State won Bronze in the girls and Osun boys won Bronze in the boys event.

Meanwhile, the Ehibam Griefshare Foundation supported the rugby event by donating two big trophy for the Most Disciplined Teams of the championship.

Lagos State Female Rugby team won the Female Most Disciplined Team, while Rivers State Male Rugby team who featured only 8 players won the Boys Most Disciplined Team of the Tournament.

The Trophies and Gold Medals were presented by the Honourable Commissioner of Sports for Osun State Comrade Biyi Odunlade and the Permanent Secretary in the Kano State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Sagagi.

Also on hand to present the Silver Medals were the Director of Sports of the Edo State Sports Commission Mr. Sunny Arandel, the Chairman of Coaches Association of Delta State Mr Tilije Sunday, alongside Mr Patrick Ibeh and “Mr Rugby” Ntiense Williams respectively.

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Female Medals Table

Edo – Gold

Delta – Silver

Ogun – Bronze

Male Medals Table

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Kano – Gold

Delta – Silver

Osun – Bronze

Most Disciplined Rugby Teams Award

Lagos Female Rugby Team Rivers Male Rugby Team

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Rugby player of Nigerian roots, Itoje, becomes first black to captain British and Irish Lions in 137 years

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 Rugby Union - British & Irish Lions Squad Announcement - O2 Arena, London, Britain - May 8, 2025 British & Irish Lions' Maro Itoje holds a lion stuff toy as he poses during the squad announcement Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Maro Itoje, who was born to Nigerian parents in Camden, North London, has been named the captain of the British and Irish Lions that will be on tour in Australia.

He remarked that he was “deeply honoured and humbled” after being appointed captain of the British and Irish Lions.

The 30-year-old Saracens lock becomes the 47th Lions captain since 1888, the first Black player to captain the side, and only the third Englishman in the last 89 years to be appointed tour leader.

“I will do my best to do the role justice. I am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead, it’s going to be a great tour,” he said

“I know the appetite amongst the players is extremely high, everyone is hungry to be a Lion, and I can’t wait to play my role.”

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One of the few sure test starters, Itoje will be embarking on his third Lions tour after being selected as the youngest player in New Zealand in 2017 and playing a standout role in South Africa in 2021.

Appointed England captain in place of Jamie George in January, Itoje led his country to second place in this year’s Six Nations Championship with four wins in a row.

The first Englishman to lead the Lions since Martin Johnson 24 years ago, also in Australia, and only the second in the professional era, the London-born son of Nigerian parents was the obvious choice after Ireland captain Caelan Doris suffered a shoulder injury.

Doris was not named in the 38-man squad and is expected to require surgery.

Itoje said he received an unidentified call on his mobile from an Irish number after club training on Tuesday, a bit of a giveaway since Lions head coach Andy Farrell is also the coach of Ireland.

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Even though the line was crackling, and he did not have Farrell’s number saved, he recognised the coach’s Wigan accent. Then the line went dead.

“I put the phone down, and then it’s gone, isn’t it? He knows something’s brewing,” laughed Farrell. “So, I rang him back and I went ‘Oh, by the way, would you like to be British and Irish Lions captain?’.

Itoje had dinner in London on Wednesday with some of the past captains, and he said their passion and appreciation shone through.

“It was amazing. It’s a brotherhood, it’s a unique club, and to spend time with them, for them to show the love and care and appreciation that they still have for the Lions. It was absolutely amazing to be a part of that.

“It’s our responsibility now to take it forward and to make sure the Lions continues to be in an elevated position.”

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Itoje showed he was captain material from an early age, leading the England Under-20s to Junior World Cup triumph in 2014, even though he became Saracens captain only this season and former coach Eddie Jones had declared him too “inward looking”.

Itoje disagreed with that assessment and has gone on to prove it wrong, while Jones was shown the exit in 2022.

“He has thrived on the England captaincy. He played really well in the Six Nations, but he has played even better for us since then,” Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall told the Guardian this week.

“Maro has absolutely thrived on all of that leadership,” he added. “Maro is very much a leader by what he does and how consistent he is.”

The Lions have a game against Argentina in Dublin on June 20. They will have five tour games before the first test in Brisbane on July 19. The second and third tests are on July 26 and August 2.

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-Reuters

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Rugby returns to sports festival  

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Rugby players are celebrating the return of the sport to the National Sports Festival and will thus be one of the disciplines at the Edo State Sports Festival which is coming up from 22nd to 30th of April 2025 at Benin City.

Rugby is one of the 29 sports approved by the organizing committee of the 4th edition of the Edo State Sports Festival.

The disciplines are: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Chess, Cycling, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Para Athletics, Taekwondo, Tennis, Abula, Ayo, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Deaf Athletics, Karate, Scrabble, Swimming, Dart, Kung-fu, Kickboxing, Table Tennis, Judo, Football and Rugby.

Rugby was previously excluded but the position has changed to encourage Rugby which is very popular in Edo State.

At the National Sports Festival of 2022 in Edo State, rugby was a scoring event. That was 10 years since its absence after featuring last at the Kada Games in 2009 in Kaduna State.

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Nigeria Rugby Federation Signs Multi -Year Partnership with Flovale Consulting

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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.

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