Rugby
‘Bendel’ qualify for rugby event of National Youth Games
Delta State male rugby team and Edo State female rugby teams have qualified from the South South Zonal elimination played in Asaba over the weekend in preparation for the National Youth Games coming up Ilorin early next month.
According to ‘Mr Rugby’ Obong Ntiense Williams, who coordinated the rugby qualifiers for the zone, “three states contested for the South South zonal elimination for Rugby 7’s event: namely Delta, Rivers and Edo State. Unfortunately Akwa Ibom State dropped their Rugby team on departure and Bayelsa couldn’t feature their U15’s this time around.”
Continuing, he said: “The teams played a round robin games in the male rugby 7’s event. Delta State won two matches against Rivers and Edo respectively, thus accumulating eight points.
“Edo State playing with only six players came second by winning a match against Rivers 3-0 and lost one to Delta 28 to 10 points, thus accumulated four points.
“Rivers came third after losing both matches, but had one bonus point when they lost to Edo within seven points.
The Female 7’s event had only two teams Edo and Delta registered as Rivers didn’t come with their Female Rugby team. Both team played two matches between themselves. They drew in the first match by 10 points a piece and Edo went on to defeat Delta in the Second Match by 17 points to 7 points.
After all the matches, Delta State won the Male Event and Edo State won the Female event and will both represent the Zone early next month for the main National Youth Games in Ilorin.
Meanwhile, the students of St Patrick School where the matches were played trooped out to catch a glimpse of this exciting and beautiful game. They ended up asking for a Coach and will be producing some of the next National Youth Game U15 Rugby Players for Delta State.
In other Zonal Qualifiers, Lagos State will be representing the South West Zone in both Male and Female events, while in the South East Zonal elimination that took place in Ebonyin State, Abia State Male and Anambra State Female teams have qualified to represent the Zone in Ilorin.
In the other Zonal Qualifiers in the North East, Bauchi State will be representing the zone with a Male Rugby Team, while, Kano State will represent the North West Zone in both the Male & Female events. Kwara State completes the North Central zonal representative.
According to Obong Ntiense Williams, “I am so happy that our hard work of introducing Rugby around the country is paying off because, for the first time, we have teams from all the six Geo-Political Zones being represented in the Rugby event.
“This is a product of inclusiveness in the mainstream of sports in Nigeria and a fall out from the just completed 20th National Sports Festival held in Edo State earlier this year, where Rugby returned as a scoring event, thus generating the much needed interest from the states which has resulted in positive Rugby development across the Country.”
The Rugby Federation will like to sincerely thank all the states that have featured Rugby at the respective Teams Sports Zonal Eliminations across the Nation over this weekend and look forward to seeing them all in Ilorin for the main event which will take place from 10 – 19 October 2021.
The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has re-elected Dr. Ademola Are as its President, reaffirming confidence in his leadership to drive a new phase of growth and inclusivity for the sport.
The new horsemen on the saddle
The Indoor Sports Hall of Package B at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, buzzed with excitement as delegates, stakeholders, and supporters gathered for the NRFF elections — an event many described as a turning point for Nigerian rugby.
Proceedings began promptly at 9 a.m., and the election process ran smoothly under a cordial and transparent atmosphere. When the votes were tallied, Dr. Are was returned unopposed for another four-year term, drawing applause from delegates who hailed his steady leadership and commitment to development.
In his acceptance speech, the re-elected president expressed gratitude to past leaders and promised to focus on grassroots expansion, institutional partnerships, and stronger national competitions.
“This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to the entire rugby family,” Dr. Are said. “We will continue to work together to ensure that rugby claims its rightful place in Nigeria, Africa, and beyond.”
He described the new board as “a blend of experience, capacity, and passion,” pledging to build on recent progress in coaching and talent development.
“The next four years will be exciting. We’re taking rugby into the NUGA Games, regional leagues, and para-military competitions. With the support of the National Sports Commission, we’ll deepen grassroots growth and strengthen our national teams,” he added.
Iyorhe Grace emerged as Vice President after defeating Mrs. Chinonye Daphey Aliyu by 11 votes to one, while other board members were drawn from all six geopolitical zones, ensuring broad representation.
The elections, widely hailed as peaceful and transparent, ended with cheers and camaraderie — a reflection of the shared resolve to reposition rugby in Nigeria.
With a renewed mandate and an inclusive leadership team, Nigerian rugby appears set for a fresh chapter of stability, innovation, and nationwide growth.
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Brampton, Canada — Nigeria’s women’s Rugby League national team, the Green Falcons, soared into the final of the International Rugby League (IRL) World Series after a commanding 10–0 victory over Ireland at the Terry Fox Stadium in Brampton, Canada.
The victory, which came against the world’s eighth-ranked side, sealed Nigeria’s place in the final and marked another milestone for the fast-rising African champions, currently ranked 17th globally.
Fedelia Omoghan opened the scoring with a hard-fought try late in the first half, though Shondell Akhabue, playing from Australia, narrowly missed the conversion to leave the score at 4–0.
Despite Ireland’s dominance in possession during the second half, Nigeria’s defense held firm. The turning point came when captain Rachael Illya capitalized on a loose ball 65 yards out, sprinting past the Irish defense to score a stunning solo try. Akhabue made no mistake with her second conversion, extending Nigeria’s lead to 10–0 — a scoreline that stood till the final whistle.
An emotional Akhabue described the moment as deeply personal, reflecting on her mixed heritage and pride in representing Nigeria.
“It means so much to the nation itself. You could just tell by our reaction when that final whistle went,” she said. “I’m Australian-based and half Nigerian, but I didn’t realize how much it would mean until that moment. I just broke down in tears — it was overwhelming.”
Team captain Blessing Aladeyelu hailed the result as a defining achievement for Nigerian women’s rugby.
“There’s emotion everywhere — happiness, pain, fatigue, but victory makes it all worth it,” she said. “Beating Ireland is a big deal. They’ve been playing rugby league for decades, long before it was introduced in Nigeria. This win means everything.”
Aladeyelu also praised the unity of the team, which includes players from Australia, Canada, and the UK.
“It wasn’t hard for us to bond because we had one goal — to make Nigeria proud and put our country’s name on the rugby league map,” she added.
Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Rugby League Association, Ade Adebisi, lauded the team’s progress, describing the victory as a symbol of Nigeria’s growing presence in world rugby.
“We’ve just beaten a rugby nation with 30 to 50 years of experience over us,” Adebisi said. “Our ladies have been playing for only about four years, yet look at what they’ve achieved. With more investment and opportunities, Nigeria can be known globally not just for football, but also for rugby.”
The Green Falcons will now face Fiji in the IRL World Series final after the Pacific side thrashed hosts Canada 48–0 in the second semi-final. However, Nigeria will be without key player Blessing Umude, who suffered an injury against Ireland and has been ruled out of the tournament.
The winner of the final will claim the last available spot for the 2026 International Rugby League Women’s World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Nigeria’s Green Falcons already hold the title of Middle East and Africa champions, and their latest triumph has further solidified their reputation as one of the fastest-emerging forces in women’s rugby league.
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Nigeria’s national women’s rugby league team, the Green Falcons, have landed in Canada ahead of their maiden appearance at the International Rugby League (IRL) Women’s World Series 2025. The 19-player squad, captained by Blessing Funmilayo Aladeyelu, touched down in Brampton on Sunday, marking a historic moment for Nigerian rugby.
The Green Falcons will open their campaign on Tuesday, October 21, when they take on Ireland at 3:30 p.m. (local time) at the Terry Fox Stadium in Brampton. Should they win, the Nigerians will face either Fiji or hosts Canada in the semi-final stage.
The final and third-place matches are scheduled for Sunday, October 26, also at Terry Fox Stadium. The championship game will feature the winners of the two opening fixtures.
Nigeria’s qualification for the global series came after their triumph as Middle East and Africa champions. The Falcons defeated Ghana home and away, and overcame Kenya with a win in Lagos and a draw in Nairobi to secure their spot at the global stage.
As part of their preparations, the Green Falcons held a three-week training camp at Alaro City International Rugby Pitch in Lagos, where they played two test matches against the Leopardess of Ghana. They impressed with back-to-back victories, winning the first game 40–0 and the second 24–8 on October 11, demonstrating strong form ahead of the World Series.
The squad features standout players including Success Iyoha, Ukwuoma Endurance, Shondell Akhabue, Innocent Adaeza, Adeola King, Rukayat Akinade, and Fedelia Omoghan, among others. Aminah Oluwabunmi has been listed as the team’s development/injury cover.
The IRL Women’s World Series in Canada represents a major milestone for Nigeria, showcasing the country’s growing presence in global rugby and marking the Green Falcons’ first-ever appearance at a world tournament.
Full Green Falcons Squad:
Success Iyoha; Blessing Funmilayo Aladeyelu (Captain); Ukwuoma Endurance; Umude Blessing; Shondell Akhabue; Innocent Adaeza; Adeola King; Rukayat Akinade; Fedelia Omoghan; Daneyelle Shobanjo; Siobhan Sheerin; Faustina Akeje; Becky Okitikpe; Catherine Akeje; Rachel Iliya; Chinaza Abbah; Vera Pedro; Lauretta Bayere; Abiola Obazuaye and Aminah Oluwabunmi.
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