Rugby
Ehibam Griefshare Foundation lifts 19 schools with rugby balls
The Edo State Rugby Association rounded off its end of the year activities on Thursday with the presentation ceremony of rugby balls to the benefiting schools in the Edo State Schools Rugby Program at the Media Centreof the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
The Ehibam Griefshare Foundation sponsored event was graced by the Edo State Sports Commission Chairman Godwin Dudu Orumen, his Director of Sports Donatus Arewa, the Director of Sports (Technical) Charity Igbinosa, Director of Sports (Facilities) Victor Edokpaiye, the President of the Edo State Coaches Association Aghahowa Osayomore,
The Edo State Sports Commission Union Chairman John Osamoyin, alongside teachers and pupils of the respective schools.
The rugby balls presentation ceremony is the foundation’s way of reassuring the program of its continued support and partnership in its activities going forward.
According to Ntiense Williams, the head coach of Edo State Rugby Association, the Ehibam foundation has over the last three years partnered with the Edo State Rugby Association in the Ehibam Schools Rugby Tournament.
“However, due to the disruption caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, the program couldn’t hold last year. As such, to restart the program, the Ehibam Griefshare Foundation have decided to help provide the basic Rugby Equipment (Rugby Balls) to kick start the program.”
According to the initiator of the partnership on behalf the Foundation, Pastor Modupeola Irele who was unavoidably absent, but had earlier also donated two MVP trophies to celebrate the Deputy Governor’s Birthday Rugby Tournament a day before, “It is our pleasure to present to you 28 Rugby Balls being 2 each to the 14 Schools presently involved in the Edo State Schools Rugby Program”
Said her, “As a Foundation focused on the development of youths in the sports of Rugby nationwide, we are pleased to have partnered with the Edo State Rugby Association having twice now sponsored the Ehibam Schools Rugby Tournament in Edo State with participations from both male & female students”
“We remain keen in our desire to work closely with the Rugby Association and by extension the Edo State Sports Commission in the development of Rugby as a sports for the social and physical promotion of the welfare of students in Edo State”
She concluded, “To this end we look forward to the Ehibam Schools Rugby Invitational Tournament in 2022”.
In appreciation, she sincerely expressed her gratitude to the workaholic Head Coach of the Edo State Rugby Association, Mr Ntiense Williams popularly known as “Mr Rugby” in Nigeria who has been so fantastic, helping and guiding us through the sports of Rugby which is fast growing in the country. The Foundation is therefore proud to be associated with this project in memory of our son Ehibam.
In his address to the Schools Teachers, Pupils and the Rugby Coaches present, the Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission Godwin Dudu Orumen congratulated the benefiting School. He expressed great gratitude to the Ehibam Griefshare Foundation for keeping faith and partnering with the Edo State Rugby Association in the Edo State Schools Rugby Program with the provision of Rugby Balls and the promise of reviving the Ehibam Schools Rugby Tournament come 2022.
He concluded with a word of advice to the Schools to use this opportunity to fully embrace this new sports and make their School and Edo State proud.
Surprisingly, two Schools who just heard of the program in the media promptly contacted the Head Coach Mr Williams requesting to be a part of the program and they were duly accommodated.
Names of the benefiting Schools are as follows :- Edo College (Senior), Edo Collage (Junior), Ihogbe Collage, Iyeokogba Secondary School Junior, Asoro Grammer School (Senior), Asoro Grammer School (Junior), Idia College (Senior), Idia Collage (Junior), Imaguero Collage, Ogbe High School (Senior), Ogbe High School (Junior), Emotan Collage (Junior), Emotan Collage (Senior), Ohuoba Primary School, Evbuotubu Primary School, Edokpolor Collage, Correctional Staff School Junior, Correctional Staff School
and Scholars Imperial Educational Center
All together, 19 Schools benefited from the Ehibam Griefshare Schools Rugby Balls Donations, as follows 17 Secondary Schools (12 Boys and 13 Girls) and two Primary Schools (two Boys and two Girls) teams respectively.
Rugby
Edo Sports Boss Bids Farewell to Five Players Invited to Nigeria’s Rugby Camp Ahead of World Series in Canada
Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has sent off five female rugby players from Team Edo who have earned national team invitations ahead of the World Rugby League Series scheduled to hold in Canada from October 17 to 27, 2025.
In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, Enabulele congratulated the athletes for their outstanding performances and dedication to the sport, describing their call-up as further evidence of Edo State’s growing influence in Nigerian rugby.
“I wholeheartedly applaud Abba Chinaza, Precious Ukwuoma, Success Iyoha, Becky Okitikpe, and Vera Akhihero of Team Edo for their dedication and determination to the game of rugby,” Enabulele said.
The players were formally presented to the Commission’s Chairman by the Head Coach of Edo State Rugby Team, Obong Ntiense Williams.
Enabulele hailed their achievement as “a monumental milestone for Edo State and for Nigeria,” urging the athletes to be worthy ambassadors of both the state and the nation as they prepare to compete on the world stage.
He also commended Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for providing the enabling environment that has allowed sports to flourish across the state.
Edo’s women’s rugby team currently holds back-to-back national 7s titles, while the state’s U-15 girls’ side recently clinched gold at the National Youth Games in Asaba, edging Delta State 7–5 in a tense final.
The five Edo players will now join Nigeria’s extended women’s rugby squad, which includes a blend of homegrown stars and international heritage players.
Confirmed among the overseas contingent are Aminah Oluwabunmi (London Broncos, UK), Catherine Akeje (Oran Park Gregory Hills Chargers, Australia), Adeola King (Ottawa Tigers, Canada), Favour Irimagha (Sheffield Eagles, UK), Annique Omodiagbe (Wests Tigers, Australia), and Faustina Akeje, a heritage player currently unattached.
If Nigeria performs successfully at the Canada series, the team will book a historic qualification for the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Rugby League Federation, Ade Adebisi, disclosed that two other Nigerian players are already making strides abroad. Rachel Iliya is currently training with Bradford Bulls in the United Kingdom, while Edo-born Blessing Aladeyelu is finalising travel arrangements to join Wakefield Trinity next month.
Adebisi noted that these international breakthroughs underscore the rapid progress of Nigerian women’s rugby and highlight Edo State’s growing reputation as a breeding ground for world-class talent.
“This is a landmark moment for Edo State and Nigeria,” Enabulele remarked, “and we are confident our girls will make us proud on the global stage.”
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Rugby
Rugby player of Nigerian roots, Itoje, becomes first black to captain British and Irish Lions in 137 years
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
-Reuters
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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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